Just An Average Guy
by Soulwars1998
Summary: When Saitama suddenly ends up outside of Wall Rose, he quickly becomes humanities' savior. With no way of getting home, he accepts his role... kind of.
1. Chapter 1

The Earth had been a lot of trouble lately. And quite frankly, it still is. Monsters keep appearing from out of nowhere. S-class heroes keep them at bay, but the lower A, B, and C-class heroes are still not given real challenges. Not that they care. If a C-class hero were to fight against a real monster, then he would have quite the challenge to face. But in the world of heroes anything is possible. For a hero with incredible power that can't be matched by anyone. A hero who doesn't do it for the glory or the fame. No, this hero does it because it's his hobby. He does it for fun. This hero is: Saitama, or the Caped Baldy.

But we all know him as: One Punch Man.

Saitama walked through the crowded streets of City-Z, the wind blowing against his bald head, his cape flapping through the wind. The hero had to admit, even after the attack of Lord Boros and his alien crew, he still felt bored. There was absolutely nothing to do. He had taken out all of the monsters that appeared in the city, but he still felt empty inside. Kind of what he always feels like. Perhaps it's irony? H wanted to become the strongest hero, a hero who beats villains with just one punch. He got his wish after his intense training schedule… but in the end, was it all worth it?

He had a disciple—one he accidently took as a disciple, but still; it was nice having him around. Genos had his own reasons for wanting to become stronger. Saitama truly wondered what would happen if Genos and the cyborg that destroyed his home-town would finally face each other. He had a feeling Genos would unleash every bit of his power, to an extent that could probably turn out to be his eventual death. Sure he was rebuilt every time he had taken a good beating, but what if he couldn't be fixed anymore? What would become of him?

Saitama sighed as he walked past several people, none of them recognizing who he is. He paid them little attention. He was used to it, after all. All the S-class heroes have their own fan club, fangirls, and lots and lots of money. What did he have? A crappy apartment which he can barely pay the rent for. But he wasn't complaining. No, he liked his crappy apartment.

The memories flooded back into his mind. His way to become the strongest hero. The many friends he made and the many monsters he defeated. It started with a few punches. But they became lesser and lesser until he finally defeated a monster with just one punch. His enthusiasm could not be described at that moment. Those three years of training finally payed off!

But now? Well… he just didn't care anymore.

"Excuse me, sir?"

"Huh?" Saitama said as he looked around him, trying to find the source of the voice who just asked him something.

"Down here."

Saitama looked down, only to see a little girl stand in front of him. "Oh." he said.

"Could you tell me where I can find the local supermarket?"

"Of course. I'm heading there too. It's that-.

Saitama's reply was cut off when the ground underneath him started shaking. The little girl that stood in front of him tripped, but grabbed hold of Saitama's legs, preventing her from hitting the ground as she looked up at the B-class hero in shock. Saitama just had a blank expression on his face as he watched the ground crack underneath them. Taking two steps backwards while in the process swooping the girl up and putting her on his shoulders, he watched as the entire ground cracked wide open, revealing a giant gaping hole. Saitama walked towards the hole, placing the girl on the ground. The girl quickly ran away, thanking the hero. Saitama looked down the hole with sight curiosity.

"I wonder how deep it goes," he muttered, considering he should check it out for himself, or just move on. Then, out of the hole, emerged a humongous worm. The worm opened its mouth, revealing several layers of whirling sharp teeth. The worm looked down at the bald human in front of him, chuckling grimly.

"I am the monster: Death Worm," the worm announced, his voice booming through the city. "I have come to rule over this world along with my children, who are currently ascending to your planet's surface through this hole I made with my power alone!"

 **Death Worm. Disaster level: Demon.**

Saitama looked up at the worm, scratching the back of his head. In a way he did kind of wish for this to happen… but still, why now? He was going to be late for the bargain sale at the supermarket. The last time he and Genos made it just in time. He would not let that happen again.

"Hey," Saitama said, looking up at the worm. "Can't you delay your invasion for one day? I'm gonna be late, so could you please go back into your hole and come back tomorrow?" he asked.

"You dare to make demands, you human filth!?" Death Worm asked as he sped down towards Saitama with an opened mouth. "I will swallow you whole!"

Saitama just stared at the worm with a blank expression of his face. The worm launched at Saitama, and in the process of swallowing, took a bite out of the concrete as well, leaving a gaping hole in it. "The fool," the worm said as he swallowed, feeling the rocks go down his throat. Looking down at the humans who were currently fleeing from the scene, fear consuming the poor souls as Death Worm chuckled grimly. "For far too long you humans have roamed freely across the Earth. For years you, your children, and the rest of this disgusting race have looked down upon those who are weaker than you. I am the king of worms. Every day I hear the screams of millions of worms being eaten, murdered, and stepped upon. You humans use my children for fishing. You kill us for fun, thinking that if you cut us in half we'll just grow back. Well we don't! How about I cut you all up? Or even better, how about I step on all of you? I am Death Worm, and I shall rule over this world."

* * *

"Well, this is something else," Saitama said to himself as he stood inside the labyrinth of sticky and slimy insides of the Death Worm. "Damnit, I'll need to get my suit clean again." He muttered, poking the worm's insides. "I guess I'll just punch my way out." He said, balling his hand to a fist and raising his arm backwards. The hero was about to punch the worm into millions of pieces, until he saw a bright light in the corner of his eyes.

"Oh," Saitama said as he turned around. "Must be the exit." He said to himself as he walked towards the light. The light became brighter and brighter until the hero had to put a hand to his face to block out the light. The hero continued walking forward, the light becoming brighter and brighter. Saitama felt a sudden breeze cross his face, and when he put his hand down and opened his eyes; he saw that he was no longer standing inside the Death Worm. No, he was standing in a field of grass. But why a field of grass?

"That's weird," Saitama muttered to himself, turning around only for him to see that the light was completely gone. "Well… guess I'll just head for that wall." the hero said to himself as he looked up at a humongous wall that stood in front of him. Walking towards it, the hero noticed a lot of destroyed buildings. The wood which the buildings consisted of was rotten, windows had been smashed, and there was a 3 meter tall human staring down at him... wait, what was that last part?

Looking up, the hero rubbed his eyes to see that there was indeed a 3 meter tall human looking down at him with the biggest grin planted on his or her face. "Oh, hi," Saitama said, greeting the human. "Would you mind telling me where I am, and why you became so tall?"

As a reply the human bend over and grabbed hold of Saitama. Opening its mouth, the human put Saitama's head between its teeth and bit as hard as he could. The human roared in agony as it felt several of its teeth break on the skull of the human it tried to devour. Humans weren't supposed to be this strong. Deciding it was for the best to swallow the human whole, the 3 meter human widened its yaws and swallowed the human whole. The giant human turned around and looked at the wall. Looking to its side, the human began to walk towards a certain breach that a certain taller human had made. There were more humans to devour. The human, also known as: Titans, began its walk towards the breach, only to feel a weird sensation inside its belly. It looked down at its belly and before it could even react, a gloved hand punched right through it, and a bald caped human emerged from its belly. Holding his belly and falling to the ground, spraying blood everywhere which began to disintegrate when it landed on the ground, the Titan fell to the ground as it looked at the human. But its eyes were lifeless, and for some reason, cutting the nape didn't kill the Titan. No, it was the human's punch.

"That's not happening twice today," Saitama said as he looked at the blood on his outfit, only for it to disintegrate. "That's pretty hot, literally." Saitama said as he wiped the remaining bloodstains off his outfit. Looking up at the wall once more, Saitama heard something he had heard many times. A sound that is a sign a hero is needed. A sound that means there is trouble. The sound of screams. Screams of terror. "Well, since I'm the only one around," Saitama said, looking around just to make sure he was indeed the only hero present at the wall. "I guess I'll help. Well, it's kind of become my duty, but whatever."

Bending his knees, the Caped Baldy jumped upwards and—with little effort—landed on top of the wall. He looked around him, trying to find any form of civilization. He looked down to see a massive city. He stared at it with a blank expression, walking across the wall as he looked down to see more of these giant humans walk across the city. He could see the bodies of many dead humans. Nodding to himself, he casually walked off the wall. Landing inside of the city, leaving cracks everywhere in the concrete he had landed on. The hero watched as two of the giant humans apparently saw him. They stood right in front of him and started walking towards him, hunger filling their eyes as drips of saliva dripped out of their mouths.

Saitama walked towards the two humans and in one swift blow, punched two gaping holes through their abdomens. The two Titans fell to the ground, not getting up. Saitama sighed inwardly as he continued walking forwards.

"This is weird," the hero muttered to himself, looking at several of the buildings that stood in the city. "These buildings are old, very old."

Saitama walked towards a building, running his gloved hand over it. He looked at his gloved hand and saw that it was covered in dust. Looking up at the sky, Saitama nodded to himself. If he hurried up he's still be able to get to the supermarket in time. Walking further into the city, the hero punched many more of the giant humans, either sending them flying sky high or just punching a hole straight through them. He had not come across any humans… well, at least the ones who were still alive. He didn't know what was happening or what these monsters were supposed to be. But they didn't see too keen to leave survivors. The corpses came across were either missing a leg, or their lower abdomen. Could it be that these giants were eating humans? Now that he thought of it, that one giant from before tried to eat him. So did that mean that humanity was in eve greater danger? He wondered what kind of disaster level this would be.

"Probably Demon," Saitama muttered to himself as he walked past yet another corpse. Sighing to himself, the hero turned right, walking into an alleyway. "Oh."

Saitama watched in slight curiosity as two humans, both female were currently flying through the air. On further inspection it appeared they were using some kind of machine to make them fly. They were circling around one of those giants. This one was big, probably around 10 meters. Saitama watched as one of the girls tried to slash away at the giant's neck with two fancy looking swords. Her attack was stopped by another giant who grabbed hold of her, bringing her towards its mouth. The other girl screamed out in horror as she too was grabbed by the other giant who the other girls had tried to kill Saitama stepped forward, only for him to increase his speed, leaving a big cloud of gust behind him as he ran towards the two giants with incredible speed. Jumping up, Saitama kept a neutral expression on his face as he extended both of his arms sideways, punching the two giants across the face as they were sent flying into two separate buildings. The two girls kept on screaming, not even noticing Saitama had already carried them to the top of the wall.

"Could you stop screaming?" Saitama asked, putting a finger in his ear and rubbing the inside of his ear. "You're safe, I think. Just don't get off this wall."

The two girls stopped screaming and opened their eyes. Turning to look at each other, the let out screams of happiness as they hugged each other tightly. Saitama turned around and jumped off the wall, flying towards the center of the city. The two girls stopped hugging each other and were about to thank the soldier who saved them, only for them to notice there was no one there. Looking at each other, they shrugged. They were probably going to stay on the wall for now.

* * *

Saitama was never a man to get angry. He was always the cool and calm type. This was no exception, but it was getting slightly annoying, knowing these giants weren't about to give up. He almost let out another sigh as he punched another Titan, making it fall to the ground with a gaping hole in its face. Saitama looked behind him, seeing two more giants walking towards him. Shaking his head, the hero ran towards the two. "Consecutive Normal Punches." Saitama said in a bored tone as a barrage of red gloved fists punched the two giants until their bodies started turning red. Seconds later their bodies fully explode into nothing but a pulp of blood, tissue, and bones. Landing on his feet, Saitama looked at his outfit. This disintegrating crap was not helping the fact that it was already hot as hell. Walking further into the city once again, Saitama wondered how many of the giants he going to come across. Because from the looks of it, this was just another boring side-track.

Saitama was about to turn right, until he heard voices. Voices that sounded quite young. Looking off into the far distance he saw a giant. But this giant was different. This giant had pointy ears, not cheeks, revealing its teeth, and it was carrying a giant boulder. Saitama began to run towards the giant, only for him to notice that the humans were actually trying to protect it. Jumping upwards and landing behind a blonde haired boy and a black haired girl, he spoke up as he walked towards them.

"Hey, mind telling me why we're defending that thing?" he asked.

"Didn't your hear Commander Pixis' plan?" the black haired girl growled at him, not even bothering to turn to face him. "Eren, in his Titan form, is going to seal the breach inside the wall by putting that boulder in the breach, sealing it for good."

"Oh," Saitama said, watching as the Titan struggled to carry the boulder and walk towards the breach at the same time. "That looks pretty heavy," he commented. "You sure he can handle it?"

"Yes!" the girl growled, turning around to face him. "What are you, crazy… what the hell are you wearing?" the girl asked, staring at the human in front of her. He looked weak and fragile, and his clothing as the weirdest she had ever seen. She had no idea how this guy even made it up the roof she and her friend were standing on. "What the hell are you doing here? And what the hell are you wearing?" the girl asked.

Saitama ignored her as he just stared at the Titan who was carrying the boulder. Only for him to see another Titan walk through the breach. He stared at it in confusion, but found out its intentions as he saw its malicious smile towards the boulder carrying Titan. "Uh, you guys." He said, pointing a gloved finger at the Titan.

"Answer the damn question!" the girl growled at him.

"Mikasa," the boy said, turning around. "Why are you screaming? And who is that guy?" he asked, pointing his finger at Saitama.

"That's what I'm trying to figure out, Armin." Mikasa retorted.

"You guys," Saitama said, wiggling an obvious finger at the Titan.

"But why bother? We're so close to victory!" Armin exclaimed.

"Because it doesn't make sense for him to be up here!" Mikasa retorted.

"You might really want to look behind-."

"What?!" Armin and Mikasa exclaimed, glaring daggers at Saitama.

"There's one of those big guys heading for your boulder carrier." Saitama replied.

Both Armin and Mikasa turned around, only you widen their eyes in shock. Mikasa was about to use her 3D maneuver gear to take out the Titan that was heading for Eren, but stopped when she felt a strong gust of wind fly past her. Rubbing her eyes, she looked up to see the strange looking human from before flying in front of the Titan.

"Would you mind moving aside?" he asked the Titan, only for it to groan and open its mouth.

"Out of the way!" a white haired soldier screamed s she cut the Titan's eye, making it fall sideways as Mikasa used her 3D maneuver gear to cut its nape. The Titan fell to the ground, dead.

"Go, Eren!" Armin exclaimed as Titan Eren roared as he lifted up the boulder and slammed it into the wall, making cracks appear above and below the breach, showing how much of an immense strength he had.

Saitama looked at Titan Eren in curiosity as it he fell on his rear, seemingly exhausted. He cocked his head sideways, only to see Armin flying towards him, using that strange piece of machinery. Saitama landed behind Armin, tapping his shoulder. "You need some help with that?" he asked.

Armin cut Eren out, but looked up in horror as two Titans emerged from behind Saitama. "Titans!" he exclaimed.

Saitama turned around to see two Titans stand in front of him. Jumping up, he punched the two Titans underneath their jaws, sending them flying over the wall. Armin could only stare in shock as he stuttered to get out any words. Any other soldier among the remaining survivors all had the same experience. How? How in the hell was a simple human capable of such a thing.

"Judging by their expressions," came a voice from above.

Saitama looked up, only to see a human hover towards him as he landed in front of him.

"They are as surprised and impressed as I am." The human continued.

Saitama waved at him, a neutral expression on his face. "Hi."


	2. Chapter 2

A hero or heroine is a person who, in the face of danger, combats adversity through impressive feats of ingenuity, bravery or military strength, often sacrificing his or her own personal concerns for some greater good. Many heroes sacrificed their personal concerns, often putting their lives on the line to assure the safety of others, not knowing if they will make it out alive. Many heroes have come and gone. Many left a legacy to which other heroes find their ideals in to form the shape of their personality. The suit doesn't make the hero. You can have a fancy suit with fancy weapons and immense strength, but suits have their weaknesses. Suits can't be trained. One wrong move and it's over, and the one inside the suit has to face off against the enemy himself.

A normal suit, however, proved to be a key asset for any hero. Was your suit as cool as you, then you would undoubtedly become the most popular hero. Combine that with years of intense training and a high rating by the Hero Association, and you'll have nothing to worry about. Though the high ratings are always given to the S-class heroes. They're called S-class for a reason. However not all S-class are all mighty and powerful. Soon Saitama would find that out for himself. But now he had other concerns.

After arriving in this strange land, the Caped Baldy did what he always did. He saved the day… kind of. There were some buildings which weren't destroyed by Titans. Well, he could always blame it on them. It's not like they would find out or anything. These Titans proved to be little of a challenge to him, as per usual. The humans inhabitants of the city named: Trost probably had more trouble dealing with them.

Saitama looked at the human that stood in front of him. Rubbing his nose, he continued to stare at the human with a blank expression.

"Are you going to tell me what I want to know, or are you just going to stare at me?" the human asked.

Saitama shrugged, looking back at the two teenage soldiers he had just saved. "I don't know," he replied, looking back at the human in front of him. "You mind telling me what city I'm in?"

"Answer my question first," the human replied, glaring at Saitama. "Who are you, and how did you become strong enough to punch two Titans over the wall. A wall that is fifty meters in height, might I add." He said, crossing his arms.

"You too?" Saitama sighed, rubbing his temples. "I'm not going to keep repeating myself. I already told some people, why not ask them… Uhm, what's your name again?"" he asked.

"It's Levi. Captain Levi." Levi replied.

"Meli, got it." Saitama said, pointing his finger at him. "So what city am I in?" he asked.

"I don't have time for this," Levi said, drawing his blades and putting them against Saitama's neck. "You'll be coming with me."

"You have food? 'Cause I'm starving." Saitama replied, picking his nose.

Levi grunted. This guy was nuts! When he went in to save those two brats from those two Titans, he didn't expect to see a human wearing strange clothes punching the two Titans over the wall with little effort. This man. This caped baldy, he was strong, very strong. Levi could see it. He saw him fly. He saw him punch. And he saw him not giving a single flip about it all. And what was up with tha neutral expression of his? Was he… bored? No, it couldn't be. Titans weren't boring, they were dangerous. They killed so many humans, and yet he's not frightened by the fact he could have gotten eaten?

Levi continued to stare at the man. Whatever he was, he wasn't human. No human could pull this off. It was impossible. It would require immense strength. Levi wondered just how much more there was to this human.

"What's your name?" Levi asked, his swords still at Saitama's neck.

"It's Saitama," Saitama replied, grabbing hold of the two blades and breaking them in two. "What's yours?" he asked politely, throwing the pieces of blade he was holding behind him.

"Levi," Levi replied, dethatching the two broken blades and attaching the handles of his 3D maneuver gear to two new swords. He kept his new blades sheathed, however, not wanting him to break off two more. "You wouldn't mind coming with me, right? We need to discuss a few things."

"Sure. Just make it quick. There's a bargain day at the supermarket which I don't want to miss." Saitama replied, putting his hands on his hips. "Now where did I leave my wallet?"

* * *

Saitama blew a bit of air out of his mouth. He was bored. Very bored. He had been brought to some kind of secret location. He had no idea why, but Captain Levi told him that someone named Erwin wanted to talk to him. In the meantime he had been given some tea and a slice of bread to ease his suffering. Taking a bite from the bread, the hero barely swallowed it as he downed the piece of bread in his throat with some tea. Sighing to himself as he put his feet on a table that he was sitting at, the hero leaned back into his chair, balancing it on its two back legs.

'This is pretty boring,' Saitama thought to himself, remembering how he had been fighting Titans just a few hours before. He truly was bored out of his mind. He just wanted to go home and watch some TV. The hero looked at the closed door that stood a few feet from him. Grabbing his bread and taking small pieces from it, he started throwing them at the door. Just then the door opened, revealing a middle-aged blonde haired man, accompanied by Captain Levi and a girl wearing glasses. Saitama just stared at them, not caring that they were looking at him with mixtures of confusion. Except for Levi.

"So," said the blonde haired man. "You must be Saitama. The man who punched two Titans out of existence." He said, walking towards the table and taking a seat across of Saitama.

"Yeah," Saitama replied, taking a sip from his tea. "You guys mind telling me what time it is?" he asked.

"Not before you answer the questions we are about to ask." The man replied.

The girl who was wearing glasses took a seat beside the blonde haired man, while Levi leaned his back against the wall, staring at Saitama with a neutral expression.

"My name is Commander Erwin," Erwin announced, holding his hand out. "That's squad leader Hanji and Captain Levi," he said, motioning to the two. Saitama stared at the two, his eyes switching from Levi to Hanji.

"Oh, okay." The hero replied, putting his feet off the table. "Can we hurry this up, please? I have to get home."

"Not until you answer us this: How were you able to punch two Titans over Wall Rose?" Erwin asked, resting his head on his hands as he stared at Saitama in curiosity.

"I just did," Saitama replied, shrugging. "It's not that big of a deal. Those Titans weren't strong at all."

"Weren't strong at all?" Erwin asked, glaring at him. "In case you've been living underneath a rock for the last couple of year, Titans are strong. They have killed thousands of humans, taken Wall Maria from us, and almost took the Trost district if it weren't for that Titan who carried the boulder to seal the breach. So don't tell me that Titans aren't all that strong."

"But they really weren't," Saitama deadpanned, staring at Erwin with his usual neutral expression.

"Have you no respect for those who have fallen to the Titans?" Erwin asked, smashing his hand on the table. "Levi, are you sure your eyes weren't deceiving you?" Erwin asked, turning to the black haired Captain. "There's no way a guy like him could defeat two Titans with just one punch."

Levi shrugged. "I saw it with my own eyes. No doubt about it." he replied, looking at Saitama. "Many of my men gave died because of the Titans."

"I'm sorry to hear that," Saitama replied, bowing is head respectfully. "But would you mind telling me why none of you have contacted the Hero Association?" he asked, turning to face the girl who sat at the table. "Why haven't you called them? They would have send an S-class hero by now."

"I have no idea what you're talking about," the girl replied. "Name's Hanji, by the way how were you able to fly? At least that's what Levi told me."

"I just trained really hard." Saitama replied. "Now can I go, please?"

Erwin shook his head, chuckling to himself. "No, you can't. You see Captain Levi wasn't the only one who saw you in action. We're about to visit cadet Yeager before his trial. And unfortunately for you, the Military Police wants you for themselves."

""I'm sorry, but I'm into those kinds of thing," Saitama replied, waving his hands in front of his chest in a dismissive manner. "And what trial?"

"The trial which decides if you live or die." Erwin replied.

"Oh," Saitama said, looking at Erwin. "Okay."

* * *

Eren gasped as he opened his eyes to find himself looking at a dark ceiling. He slowly got up and moved his arms, only to find them bound to chains.

"I see you're finally awake." a voice said.

Eren looked over to see he was behind bars; however, in front of the bars were two men that Eren immediately recognized.

The one sitting down on a chair was Commander Erwin Smith. The one standing up and leaning against the wall was Captain Levi. They were both members of the Survey Corps with astounding skills.

"Do you have any questions, Eren?" Erwin asked.

"Where am I?" Eren asked as he looked around the room he was in.

"You're now in an underground cell," Erwin answered, "As of now, you're under the Military Police's custody. We were granted permission to come and see you."

"What about my friends?" Eren asked.

"They'll be fine," Erwin answered, "We're asking them anything that could be related to how you got your Titan power. However, it probably won't be much of a change."

Eren widened his eyes as he saw Erwin pull out a key. "That's the-"

"Yes, this is your key," Erwin interrupted, "You can have it back later, but back in your old home, in Doctor Jaeger's basement in the Shingashina District, lies the answer to the mystery of the Titans. Am I correct?"

"I'm not sure, at least I believe that's what my father said," Eren answered, still unsure.

"So you have amnesia and your dad's gone missing. Isn't that convenient," Levi remarked.

"Levi, we already talked about how he has no reason to lie to us," Erwin told him, before turning back to Eren, "There are things we need to know. I believe we should ask what is it you want. In order to investigate your home, we need to seal the breach in the wall. That is where your powers come in. Like it or not, the Titans have influenced our fate, including the Colossal and Armored Titan. Your will is the key: the key humanity could use to get out of this hopeless situation."

"Uh…" Eren trailed off, not knowing what to say.

"Hey, we don't have all day you piece of crap. What do you want?" Levi demanded with irritation.

Eren looked back at the two with a crazed look in his eyes and a deadly smile. "I want to join the Survey Corps, and kill every single Titan in existence."

Levi's eyes seemed to gleam with amusement. "Not bad. Erwin, tell the higher ups that I will vouch for him."

Levi walked over and gripped one of the bars while giving Eren a deadly look. "Not that I trust him or anything. I just want to be around to kill him if he ever goes on a rampage. I don't think the top brass will disagree. I'm the only one who's fit for the job."

* * *

Eren sat in his cell as he looked at his chains. It's been around a day or so ago since he woke up from a coma, but Eren was just wondering when he could leave this place.

"May I use the restroom?" Eren asked one soldier.

"You already went," the soldier answered coldly.

"Can I have some water?" Eren asked the second soldier.

"Know your place, monster," he replied as he turned away.

Eren slightly hung his head in confusion as he looked at his chains. He completely understood why they were acting like this, but did they really have to do all of this just to keep him on lockdown?

That's right, his friends. Were they all okay? Did they make it out of Trost alive?

Eren snapped out of his thought as he heard door open from the outside. He waited as he heard footsteps coming towards his cell, but it suddenly got quiet.

Too quiet.

Eren jumped as a woman with glasses and a ponytail came out of nowhere and clutched the bars while giving him a scary look.

"You must be Eren," she smiled happily, "Are you okay? Anything new? Sorry to keep you waiting, but it seems you're finally getting out."

Eren sighed with relief.

"But you'll have to wear these," she added as she showed Eren handcuffs.

"I'm Hanji Zoe, a Survey Corps squad leader," she introduced as they walked towards their destination.

Eren tried to move as a man was sniffing him.

"He's another squad leader," Hanji explained, "Mike Zacharius. He has the habit of smelling people he's just met, and then smirking. I don't think it has any real significance. After all, he's good enough that they gave him a squad."

There was silence as they continued walking.

"Oh, sorry! Too much chit-chat," she said as they arrived at a door, "We're already here. Don't worry. It's better not to get any explanations in advance."

Eren widened his eyes as he was being pushed through the door, "Wait!"

"I know it's selfish, but we have no choice but to blindly put our trust in you. Good luck," Hanji said before closing the doors.

"Kneel down there," a policeman order.

Eren simply complied as he kneeled down. The policeman put a pole in between Eren's cuffs.

He tried to move, but it was useless, he was stuck. Eren then looked around to see the Military Police, the Garrison Troops, the Survey Corps, and…Armin and Mikasa?

Suddenly the door that Eren had stepped through opened, revealing two Military Police soldiers accompanying a certain bald hero. Everyone stared at the bald human in confusion as the two police officers escorted him to kneel down beside Eren. The baldy just did what he was told and kneeled down beside Eren.

He looked up to see an old man rolling up his sleeves and sitting down. "Well then, let us begin," he said, looking down at the two. "Cadet Eren Yeager and… Saitama, was it?" he asked, turning to Saitama.

Saitama gave the man a blank stare as he nodded his head.

"Very good. Cadet Yeager, you are a soldier who chose to devote his life to the king. Is that correct?" the man asked, straightening his glasses.

"Yes, sir."

"And you, Saitama," the man said, turning to face Saitama. "You are not a registered soldier or citizen. So we know absolutely nothing about you. Is that correct?"

"I guess." Saitama replied. "Could you please hurry up?" he asked, turning to face Eren. "What the hell did this kid do to be put in such a position?" he asked, turning to face the man again. "And what the hell did I do? I was just doing my hobby—I mean job—I mean duty! Whatever!"

"Order!" the man said, clapping his hand on the table he sat at. "You will speak when spoken to." The man cleared his throat, turning to Eren. "As for your case, Eren, it is out of bounds for common law, therefor we must convene a special court-martial. The final decision will be handed down by me. We will deliberate upon whether you live or die as well." The man said, looking up from his paper. "Do you have any objections?"

"None, sir." Eren replied, lowering his head.

"I'm glad you're so cooperative. Let me say this straightforward, concealing your existence has proven impossible. Unless we publicize your existence in some way, we will have to face another threat besides Titans. This court is tasked with deciding which force will take custody of you. The Military Police, or the Survey Corps." The man said, turning to the Captain of the Military Police. "First let us hear the propositions of the Military Police."

"I am Nike Dawk," announced a man dressed in a Military Police uniform. "I am the Chief of the Military Police. Our proposition is as follows: We will examine Eren's body thoroughly, then dispose of him as soon as possible. It's a fact that his Titan's power repelled the last attack. However, his character induces disturbances that may even lead to a rebellion. Therefore he shall provide us with as much intelligence as possible, they he'll become a martyr for mankind."

"You're basically going to kill him," Saitama commented, looking at Nike. "You should have shortened it to ten words or less. Seriously, you could have just said: Hey, we're going to cut him open and throw his body into the river after we're done." He said, turning to face Eren. "Though I wonder what they'd want with a kid like you."

"Silence yourself you bald headed freak!" Pastor Nick shouted, pointing and accusing finger at him. "That boy is nothing more than vermin. Nothing more I tell you! He has disgraced our holy walls, and so have you!"

"Hey, so what if I'm bald!" Saitama shouted, accidentally breaking the metal pole to which his cuffs were attached to, thus breaking free. "Oops," Saitama said as he brought his hands to his head, only for him to break his cuffs in the process. "That's not good," he said, rubbing his head. "Oh boy, he said, staring at his—now—freed hands. "Hey," Saitama said, turning to face Nike. "You have any spares? I kind of broke mine."

"I think that shows our next subject," said the man, mostly known as Zackley. "As you can already see, Mr. Saitama is very strong. From what I have seen from several reports, you _punched_ two Titans. Two 10-meter class Titans that weigh more than twenty humans combined over a wall that is fifty meters in height. Now I would have called an ordinary man crazy of he were to tell me this. But it is the fact that even Captain Levi himself reported seeing you doing those things. Now I ask of you: Are you like Eren? Do you have something to hide from us?"

"In all honesty," Saitama replied, holing his hands up. "I just want to get home. If I wait for two more hours I'll miss bargain day at the supermarket," he said, turning to face Nike. "Can't you just let the kid go, or something? I mean he didn't do anything bad, right? From what you have been telling, he actually helped all of you, am I right?"

"Enough of this," Nike growled, turning to one of his men. "Take aim!"

"Now hold on a second!" Zackley interrupted. "I want to hear the Survey Corp's propositions as well. Commander Erwin, if you would be so kind."

"Of course," Erwin announced. "I am Commander Erwin Smith, head of the Thirteenth Battalion of the Survey Corps. Our proposition is as follows: We will accept Eren as a formal member of the Survey Corps, along with Mr. Saitama. Recapturing Wall Maria by using his Titan power," he said while looking at Saitama. "And the soon to be discovered power of Saitama. That is all."

"Is that it?" Zackley asked.

Saitama looked at Erwin, giving him a thumbs up. _'Defiantly shorter than Nakius, or whatever his name was.'_ He thought to himself, looking at Erwin with a blank expression.

"Yes. Using Eren's Titan power and Saitama's power we should be able to retake Wall Maria." Erwin replied.

Saitama closed his eyes as he sat down on the floor. Crossing his legs, he put his fingers in his ears as he heard the people in the court room started to argue. Why did this have to happen to him? Fighting a monster on a bargain day was bad enough, but now he was in a court room with a kid that is being treated like he's some kind of monster. His kind of wished Genos were here to do the talking for him. He always had a way with words. He intimidated people with his looks and the way he acted. He would have gotten them out in no time. But since he was alone… he better followed the rules. He still had a reputation as a hero. But still, it was like no one had ever heard of the term 'Hero' before. Like it didn't exist or anything.

Saitama felt his mouth water as he thought of the Udon he could buy for such a low price right now. He wanted to get out, and he wanted to get out fast. Opening his eyes and turning his head to face Eren again, he saw that the young teenager was currently being kicked to death by Captain Levi. Watching the scene unfold with no emotions whatsoever, Saitama stood up and tapped Levi's shoulder. "Is that really necessary?" he asked.

As a reply Levi punched him across the face. Saitama didn't even move, he wasn't even slightly hurt by Levi's actions. Raising his hand, he spoke up. "What's your problem?" he asked, karate chopping Levi on his shoulder, literally smashing him into the floor as the young Captain was now stuck between it. "Oh, crap," Saitama said, grabbing Levi by his collar with his thumb and index finger, pulling him out of the floor. "You didn't break anything, did you?" he asked, checking over Levi only to see his right arm slightly lower than his left. "That's not good," Saitama said, grabbing hold of Levi's arms and raising it upwards, a sickening crack echoing through the court room. "Now it's even worse," Saitama said, as slowly pulled Levi's arm down, making the Captain flinch.

Saitama rubbed the back of his head. "Sorry for dislocating your shoulder," he said as Levi glared daggers at him. "But that should be a reminder not to hit people when they ask you something, it's kind of rude."

"As Levi stated before," Commander Erwin quickly announced. "He can kill Eren if need be. And as you have now all seen first-hand, Saitama can pretty much take care of himself. Should Levi fail—which I highly doubt he will—then we can have Saitama take care of it."

Zackley stared at Saitama. "Can you do it? If Eren goes on another rampage, _can_ you stop him?"

"Sure," Saitama replied. "Now can I go home?"

"Then I have made my decision. Cadet Eren Yeager and Saitama will be handed over to the Survey Corps." Zackley announced.

Saitama sighed inwardly. He wasn't going to make it in time for the bargain day at the supermarket, was he?


	3. Chapter 3

Eren let out a yawn as he looked in front of him. he watched as the former Survey Corp's HQ came into sight. Looking to his side, he saw Captain Levi stare at him with that neutral expression of his. Shuddering, he turned to face the caped baldy, only to see him staring at him with an equal neutral expression of his own. Eren truly wondered if everything he had heard was true. Had this guy seriously punched two Titans over Wall Rose? He saw him literally chop Captain Levi into the floor, but still… was he really able to do such a thing? If so, then he would like to have a long talk with him. Saitama, the man with incredible strength. He came out of nowhere and just got accepted into the Survey Corps by Commander Erwin. Eren had to train four years to even become a soldier for humanity, but this Saitama was accepted in the ranks like it was nothing. This angered Eren. Like hell Saitama had trained as hard as he did.

Eren gritted his teeth in anger and frustration as he looked to his side. He watched as Saitama shifted uncomfortably on his horse, constantly muttering words Eren did not understand. Eren really wanted to know how Saitama was powerful enough to punch two Titans over Wall Rose. Saitama might be strong, yes. But he was strong too. Eren Yeager, the cadet who was eaten by a Titan and returned from the dead, transformed into the enemy he hated the most.

"Damn, this is uncomfortable," Saitama muttered as dismounted his horse. "I'll just run."

Eren's eyes widened as Saitama suddenly disappeared, leaving a long trail of gust behind as he almost knocked over several Survey Corps members and their horses. "How did he?" Eren asked, turning to face a woman. "Did you see that?" he asked.

The woman, as shocked as Eren was, blinked a few times before turning to face the young teen. "To be honest with you, I have no idea," she said. "Captain, what do you think? I mean, you've seen and got a personal display of his power," she said, turning to face her Captain as she cringed, remembering what Hanji had told her.

"I don't know what to think of him, Petra," Levi replied. "The things I have seen him do are beyond my imagination. He punched two Titans over Wall Rose, and reports have been rolling in about him punching even more Titans to smithereens," he said, looking back at her. "The way I see it, we better stay friendly to him," he said, cringing slightly as he looked at his right shoulder.

"Amazing," Petra said, looking off into the far distance as she saw the HQ becoming bigger and bigger, indicating they had almost reached their destination. "I wonder who's team he's going to be on," she mused to herself. "I wouldn't be surprised if he'd get assigned to our squad," she said, looking at her Captain. "Though you have to make the call."

"I already did, Petra," Levi replied. "Mike and Hanji have also requested he'd be put under their command."

"So it's like a competition," Petra remarked, turning her gaze to Eld and Gunther. "What do you guys think?" she asked, getting their attention.

"A guy who can kill Titans with just one punch, sounds pretty far-fetched if you ask me," Eld commented.

"Yeah, I'm going to have to agree with Eld," Gunther added. "Someone who can kill Titans by just punching them just sounds stupid."

Petra looked in front of her, looking at the former HQ. She truly wondered how a single human being was able to punch two Titans over the wall. This man, Saitama. If Levi would allow it, she would defiantly have a talk with the Caped Baldy.

* * *

The squadrons all arrived at the HQ. Dismounting their horses and dusting themselves of, they all looked at the HQ. Petra noticed Saitama leaning his back against a tree. Smiling and nodding to herself, the young girl walked towards him. Standing in front of the Caped Baldy, Petra spoke up. "How are you feeling?" she asked, sitting down on the ground. "I mean, after the whole ordeal in the court room, you must be feeling pretty tired." She said, looking at him with a curious expression.

Saitama shrugged. "Not really. Kind of disappointed, though." He replied, ripping out pieces of grass and fiddling with them.

"Why is that?" Petra asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Spending my night in a cell isn't really what I had I mind. And I missed the bargain day at the supermarket… again." He sighed. Looking at Petra, he raised an eyebrow at her. "Don't you have a job to do, or something?" he asked.

Petra nodded her head, giving him a smile. "Yep. Captain Levi had already told us to start cleaning the HQ. though I doubt he'll ask you, since he thinks kind of highly of you. Oh, by the way, Commander Erwin would like to have a word with you. I think he's finally decided which squad you'll be assigned to," Petra said. Getting off the ground, she stretched her back ash she turned around, winking at Saitama. "In my opinion, you'd fit right in with us."

Saitama stared at her with a blank expression as he watched her walk away. Standing up and throwing away the pieces of grass he had 'collected', he started to walk to the HQ.

Commander Erwin sat in his office, reading through several documents. Wiping the sweat of his forehead, the man let out a sigh. There was still so much work to do. He had decided which squad Saitama would be assigned to. Would Saitama agree to wear a Survey Corps uniform? He'd have to ask him that.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door. Erwin turned his gaze to the door. "Come in," he said. The Commander smiled as he watched Saitama enter his office. "Please," he said, motioning to a chair that stood in front of his desk. "Have a seat. We have some things to discuss."

Nodding his head, Saitama took a seat in front of Erwin. "You wanted to talk to me?" he asked, leaning back into his chair.

"Yes," Erwin replied. "I'm about to give some information one the next expedition outside of the Walls. If you have any questions, don't be afraid to interrupt. Now, let's begin." Clearing his throat, Erwin continued. "The 57th expedition outside of the Walls will take place in a few days. You will be joining said expedition, since you are a key asset to this operation. If we succeed, we might be able to find out how the Titans came to be and how we can stop them. Five years ago Wall Maria was breached by the Colossal and the Armored Titan. A lot of innocent people lost their lives that day. We had established a route to the Shingashina district, which is where we will find the secret of the Titans. With Eren's Titan power and your incredible power we might be able to reach the district without any trouble whatsoever."

"For years we have tried to reclaim our lands, but every time we fail, and it results in more losses. Of we leave with three hundred men on an expedition, then only thirty percent will return. Saitama, as from this day forwards you are an official member of the Special Operations squad. Now I ask of you, are you willing to die when ordered?" Erwin asked, looking at Saitama with a stern expression.

Saitama shrugged. "I'm not really the type of guy that follows orders," he replied. "But I can't promise a safe return for everyone."

"That is understandable," Erwin replied. "I do not expect you to be a hero, I expect you to do your job to help humanity strive against the Titans, so that we may win this war once and for all. I hope this expedition we turn out successful. And I hope you will do your best to help us."

"I'm not a soldier," Saitama replied. "I'm a hero."

"Of course you are," Erwin replied. "Now, about that uniform of yours."

"The suit stays," Saitama deadpanned, standing up from his chair. "Any other things you want to talk about, or is this it?"

"There is one more thing," Erwin said, getting Saitama's attention. "Very soon the cadets will graduate and choose which military force they want to join. Most of them will choose the Garrison regiment, but there will always be a few who are brave enough to join the Survey Corps. Would you be so kind as to join me on this graduation, to talk some spirit into those cadets. With you on our side, I'm sure we'll be able to convince them to join us."

"Sure, but don't expect too much from me," Saitama replied, walking towards the exit. "I'm not a good talker."

"But you are a good fighter," Erwin retorted. "You stared into the face of death and yet you did not flinch. The only person I know who is capable of doing that is Captain Levi, and even he has some form of respect towards you. perhaps it's the fact you showed him you are stronger than he'll ever be, or perhaps it's because you showed everyone what you're capable of when punching those two Ti-.

"Stop making such a big deal out if it," Saitama interrupted the blond haired Commander. "So I killed two Titans, big whoop. I'm betting those soldiers did to."

Erwin watched as the so called hero left the room, leaving the Commander to think what he had just been told. This hero. Saitama. He truly was something else, that's for sure.

* * *

Petra let out a sigh of relief as she plopped down on her matrass. Looking up at the ceiling of her room, she closed her eyes and hummed a happy tone. She was happy. She felt at peace. Levi told her she could rest up. Heh, he was such a nice guy. Smiling to herself as she thought of the many adventured she and him and been through, she did not notice someone enter her room.

"Oh, looks like this one's taken too."

Petra's eyes shot open as she jumped out of her bed and raised her fists. She turned her head to the door opening, but lowered her fists as she saw who was standing in front of her. "Hi, Saitama," she said, smiling at the Caped Baldy. "What brings you to my humble quarters?" she asked, walking towards him.

"Well, I was looking for a room where I can sleep in." Saitama replied.

"Are you tired?" Petra asked, a little confused.

"Not really," Saitama replied, staring at her. "I just want to get a room before they're all taken. Commander Ervok said I could."

" _Ervok_?" Petra repeated, laughing as she finally realized who he was talking about. "Oh, you mean Commander Erwin. Well, if you want I could walk with you and search for a room with you." she suggested.

"I don't need you holding my hand or anything," Saitama said, slowly backing up.

"No, not like that," Petra quickly replied. "I'm just trying to help. By the way, do you know which squad you've been assigned to?" she asked, a hint of curiosity in her voice as she stared at him.

"Yeah, the Special Operations squad." Saitama replied, looking at Petra in confusion as twinkles appeared in her eyes.

"Oh, this is going to be great!" Petra exclaimed as she took hold of Saitama's hands. "I'll have to introduce you to the rest of the squad. They must be so hyped to meet you!"

 _'Damn,'_ Saitama thought, looking at Petra with an expression of hesitation and confusion. _'Now I know how Genos feels, being chased by all of his fangirls.'_

"Come on," Petra said as she dragged him out of her room. "We'll go find you a room and then I'll introduce you to the rest of the squad."

"Oh, boy." Saitama muttered underneath his breath.

* * *

"What?!" exclaimed Hanji, slamming her fist on Erwin's desk in anger and frustration. "But I had so much to show him. So much tests for him!"

"That's enough, four-eyes," Levi deadpanned, walking over to her and facing her directly. "You already have one of my men as your personal lab-rat. I'm not letting you have this one." he said, glaring at her as he turned towards Erwin. "Will he be needing 3D maneuver gear?"

Erwin nodded. "I want you to train him how to use it. He might be strong and fast. But not fast enough to keep up with our horses. I know it's a tough job, but you'll have to try. He needs to learn how to control the 3D maneuver gear before we go on the expedition. I'm trusting you on this one, Levi." He said. Turning to Hanji, he continued. "I'll have you take care of the test on Eren. As for Saitama, you will not lay a single finger on him." he said, glaring at her.

"Why not?" Hanji whined.

"Because he'll probably rip it off, along with your arm," replied Levi, grabbing hold of her shoulder and spinning her around, making her face him directly. "Saitama and Yeager are under my jurisdiction. I decide whether they'll live or die, you got that?"

"For Eren, maybe. But for Saitama? No way," she replied, laughing at him. "You'll probably get chopped into the floor again lime last time. I mean did you see how he beat you up with just one punch. That had me laughing all the way back to the barracks!" she exclaimed, clutching her side.

Levi glared at her, ready to slap her across the face. Just then a soldier came running in, panting and probably exhausted.

"Commander Erwin, we have a situation!" he said.

"What is it?" Erwin asked.

"It's the new recruit. The bald one. Four of our men are currently going to fight him because they think he's lying!"

Erwin turned to Levi and Hanji, who all nodded their head simultaneously. Getting off his chair, the three of them ran out Erwin's office. Within five minutes they reached the open field inside the HQ. They watched as Saitama was being surrounded by four soldiers, while Petra was yelling at them to stop. Using his 3D maneuver gear, Levi soared towards Saitama. Landing in front of him, he turned to the four soldiers, glaring at them with fire in his eyes.

"Get lost," he ordered.

The four soldiers gulped, but all followed their Captain's orders. Turning to Saitama, Levi continued. "Mind telling me what the hell happened?" he asked.

"I don't know," Saitama replied, shrugging. "They just told me that I wasn't fit to join the Survey Corps or something. Then they said they wanted to fight, so I just told them to bug off. And that's when you came in."

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Levi rubbed his temples. "Come on, it's time to get you in shape."

"Says the guy with the female hair," Saitama commented.


	4. Chapter 4

Captain Levi and his companion walked through the open fields near the HQ. Levi turned his gaze to Saitama, who was fiddling with his—recently attached—3D maneuver gear. He watched in slight curiosity as Saitama tried to figure out how to hold the handles correctly. "Hey," he said, getting his attention. "Once we reach a set of trees, we'll begin our exercise. This is going to be hard, but trust me, you'll need it."

"I don't think so," Saitama replied, looking at the handles of his gear in curiosity. "I'm not too fond of fancy machinery," he said, glancing back at Levi. "I really don't need it."

"Yes, you do." Levi retorted, glaring at him. "Oh, look," he said, looking off into the far distance. "We've reached our destination. Let's get going."

The duo began their walk to a nearby forest, an awkward silence befalling the two. Deciding to break the silence, Levi spoke up.

"Listen, Saitama. This might sound like a very weird question, but do you even know what you're up against?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. The Captain was confused, very confused. When he watched Saitama defeat those two Titans, he saw no fear on his face. It was like he didn't even care that about to be eaten.

"Well," Saitama replied, tapping his chin. "Giant people trying to eat smaller people, I guess."

Levi smacked his forehead in frustration. "That is one way to summarize it, but it's far worse than that." He said, turning to face him directly. "Titans have been around for a hundred years. We humans have been living inside the Walls for all those years. We, the Survey Corps, are one of the three military forces humanity has. We risk our lives, venturing outside the Walls into territory, to set up bases and reclaim what was once ours. But whenever we leave, we return with many losses. We are going to head to the Shingashina district, because Commander Erwin believes that the answer to the Titans lies in there. In Eren Yeager's basement."

"So… we are going to go outside the Walls and… got to someone's basement?" Saitama questioned, his facial features that of confusion.

"Basically," Levi replied, nodding his head. "But since the breach in the Trost district has been sealed, we have to go a different way. Through the Karanese district."

Having reached the forest, the duo began to check their equipment—or rather, Levi checking Saitama's equipment as well as his own. The gas cylinders were full, nothing was broken, and so they were ready to go. But before they could begin, Levi shared a bit of info with Saitama.

"Listen up," he said, getting Saitama's attention. "The simplest move possible with the 3D maneuver gear is simply aiming and firing the grapple hooks at an object and then activating the gas mechanism to reel yourself toward said object. You can then disconnect the hook and continue moving forward. Usually however, you must be able to move around in order to navigate in general. Therefore, everyone-including you—tends to use their momentum in order to swing around targets, not only in rectilinear patterns, but also slaloming between objects and, yes, even Titans."

"Uhm, care to repeat that?" Saitama asked, scratching the back of his head as Levi simply smacked his forehead once more.

"Aim the handles at your target, then pull the trigger. Pull the lower trigger to retract your cable, you can then use said cable to fire at another object." Levi replied. Grabbing hold of his handles, the young Captain aimed them at a nearby set of trees. Pulling the triggers, the cables shot out of their holsters and impacted on a nearby tree. Saitama could only watch in curiosity and slight awe as he saw Levi soar towards the trees.

"Okay," Saitama mumbled to himself. "Aim the handles," he said, aiming his handles at the tree next to Levi. "Then pull the trigger," he said. The Caped Baldy watched as the two metal cables shot towards the tree he had aimed them at. Getting ready, Saitama watched as the cables collided with the tree. "And now… retract?"

The cables retracted themselves and Saitama was pulled into the air. Looking down, he watched as his feet were lifted off the ground. Turning his gaze forward, he saw the tree closing in. he looked at Levi, who just nodded his head as he shot his cables to another set of tree. Deciding to do the same thing, Saitama retracted his cables as well and shot them into another set of trees. The Caped Baldy looked down at the ground to see he was soaring through the sky at quite the height. Well… he has soared through even greater heights… and without a 3DMG. Ah well, this was kind of fun for him, actually. Going on an airplane or simply flying himself wasn't really all that fun. Could he call it flying? Normally he would just jump up and soar through the sky for a couple of minutes. Or was that what flying meant?

Deciding to leave the question for tomorrow's Saitama, he retracted his cables once more and repeated the process he and Levi had been doing.

 _'This guy,'_ Levi thought to himself, looking down at Saitama as he used his 3DMG at its full potential. _'It's like he has been doing this for years. But it can't be. We've just met him yesterday and he's already outdone some of the Survey Corp's members. Has he been secretly training himself for this moment, or something? Yeah, that's probably it. No way can a guy be this good without having trained for years. It's impossible. It… can't be.'_

"Hey, this is pretty fun!" Saitama called out to Levi, shaking the Captain out of his thoughts.

"Really?" Levi questioned. "Well, let's see if you can keep this up for five more minutes! Then we'll talk!"

Saitama watched as Levi seemingly increased his speed, soaring a few meters in front of him. Nodding to himself, Saitama followed the Captain. Is this how that green haired girl feels every time she uses her telekinetic power? Deciding not to think about it, Saitama moved forward.

Five minutes had passed. Five whole minutes of constant swinging, cable firing, and the use of gas. 3DMG was a key asset in the fight against the Titans. Levi had been trained to use it at a very young age, so he knew how it worked. Heh, they didn't call him 'Humanities strongest' for nothing. Though sometimes he regretted that title. He wasn't strong enough to save the ones he cared about, and it still haunted him until this very day

Levi panted heavily as he finally reached the other side of the forest. He turned his head back and smirked. Saitama wasn't here. He was probably way behind.

"The fool must have gotten himself tied between his cables, or hit a tree." He said to himself, shaking his head as he could already imagine how it must look like.

"Oh, there you are."

Slowly turning his head, Levi's eyes widened when they fell upon Saitama, who was standing behind him with a neutral expression planted on his face. Levi's right eye twitched in a way it had never done before. "How," he said, slowly walking towards Saitama with a menacing look on his face. His eyes burned with anger and frustration. "In the hell were you able to catch up with me without me even noticing?"

"Oh, I kind of got bored from flying and decided to run the rest of the way. I'm surprised you didn't see me, because I clearly saw you… when I passed you." Saitama replied.

"You're lying," Levi stated, crossing his arms. "There is no way a normal human being could surpass the 3D maneuver gear. There's just no way."

"Well, I did. Believe it or not." Saitama replied. Suddenly, a loud yawn escaped the Caped Baldy's mouth. "Hey," Saitama said, wiping his nose. "You mind if we go back?"

"No," Levi replied, glaring at him. "We've only been training for five minutes. The expedition starts in a few days. We have to train more." He said, crossing his arms. "I promised Erwin I'd have you ready. And I tend to keep that promise."

"Well, I'm pretty good at it," Saitama retorted.

"Being 'good at it' doesn't mean you can handle it. What will you do when you come face to face with a Titan? You don't even know how to use the gas cylinders correctly, let alone know how to use the blades." Levi stated. "Unless you intend to punch every single Titan into oblivion. Which I highly doubt you will."

Letting out a sigh, Saitama began to walk towards the forest.

"The hell are you going to do?" Levi asked in confusion, following him.

Saitama's reply was simple. He balled his hand to a fist and simply punched the tree. Said tree was sent flying hundreds of meters into the air, along with several other trees.

Levi's eyes widened and his mouth stood slightly agape.

Saitama turned to face Levi, staring at him with a neutral expression. "Are we done? I'm kind of hungry."

* * *

Commander Erwin sat behind his desk. Leaning back into his chair, he let out a sigh of relief as he looked at all of the paperwork he had finished reading. It was quite a lot, and quite frankly, the Commander was tired. It was already dark outside and some of the Survey Corp's members had already gone to bed. But not him. No, he was waiting for someone.

Looking down at one of the documents, he smiled a bit when he read the cover.

 **Saitama.**

Grabbing hold of the document once more, he opened it and started reading out loud. "Name: Saitama. Sure name: Unknown. Age: 25. Height: 175 centimeters," Erwin stopped to flip the page, before continuing. "During the breach of Trost, he appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Not much is known about him, only that he has inhuman strength. He is able to punch two Titans over Rose. His other capabilities consists of: Jumping to heights physically and scientifically impossible, the ability to fly and the ability to kill Titans with his fists. He has been assigned to the Survey Corps, along with Cadet Eren Yeager. He will partake in the 57th expedition outside the Walls and venture into Titan territory."

"You should add: Immense speed that can outrun the fastest horse to that list, too." A voice said, interrupting Erwin.

Looking up from the document, Erwin nodded his head to the one who stood in the door opening. "Levi," he said, motioning for the Captain to enter. "So, how did the training go? Did Saitama fail miserably and did you have to scold him?" he asked, placing the document back on his desk.

"The guy is a natural," Levi replied, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall. "He knows how to use it. It's like he has been training for years, but yet it's the first time he's ever used the 3D maneuver gear. But as much as I don't like to admit it, I think the 3D maneuver gear will just hold him back."

"Oh," Erwin said, cocking his eyebrows. "And why is that?"

"Because the guy was able to outrun me, even when I was using my gear. We raced each other to the edge of the forest. When I arrived, I found the guy half asleep. Must have been lying there for ten minutes or something." Levi said, shaking his head. "To think I would ever hear this coming out of my own mouth. But I think it's safe to say this guy can pretty much take on anything thrown at him, including Titans."

"But still, he won't be able to kill the Titans without the help of our blades and-."

"The guy literally punched a tree several hundred meters into the air, with the roots still attached to said tree. And to top it all off, due to the impact of his punch even more trees were sent flying, along with their roots, too!" Levi cut the Commander off. "I'm telling you, this guy is capable of things we cannot possibly imagine. Erwin, have faith in him."

Rubbing his temples, Erwin spoke up. "Where is he?" he asked, looking back at Levi with tired eyes.

"Currently inside the barracks. Petra is showing him his room and the mess hall." Levi replied. "Why/ do you ask?"

"Give him his gear and tell him he can use it, if he wants to. If he truly is as fast as you say he is, then he will be able to keep up with our horses."

"So you take back what you said earlier? About him not being able to keep up with our horses?" Levi asked, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Erwin glared at him as a reply.

* * *

Saitama let out a loud yawn as he and Petra walked through the barracks. It had been a couple of hours since his training with Levi. The food he was given wasn't too bad… but the bread was too dry and the soup was a bit too thick, but whatever. Looking to his side, he noticed Petra staring at him with a smile planted on her face.

"Is something the matter?" Saitama asked, rubbing his cheek. "Do I have soup on my face? Or bread? Or both?"

Petra chuckled, shaking her head as a reply. "No, you're good," she replied. "So from what you've told me during dinner is that you can use the 3D maneuver gear, but you don't have to, right?" she asked, smiling as Saitama nodded his head in conformation. "That's pretty weird, but I guess tha suites you."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean?" Saitama asked, seemingly offended by her remark.

"Nothing, nothing," Petra replied, waving her hands in front of her in a dismissive way. "It's just… well… everything that has been going on for the past two days. First Trost is breached, then we find out a human is capable of turning himself into a Titan, and then you show up. The guy who punched two Titans over Wall Rose."

"I don't get why all of you are making such a big deal out of it," Saitama said, shrugging. "So I punched two Titans over a wall, big whoop. You shouldn't do what you're doing, this whole 'praising' thing."

"Why not?" Petra asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Because it doesn't make any sense. You should be praising the guy who put that boulder in that hole." Saitama replied. Putting his hand in his pockets, he continued. "Instead that kid gets treated like a monster. Just because he looks different doesn't mean he should be treated different."

"But he's a Titan-."

"Nope, I believe he's still human, just like you and me" Saitama cut her off.

Letting out a sigh, Petra came to a halt when they reached her room. "Well, I guess this is goodbye." She said, holding her hand out.

"We're just going to bed," Saitama deadpanned.

"I know that," Petra replied in a sarcastic tone. ""It was a figure of speech, dummy."

Looking down at Petra's hand, Saitama held out his own and shook hers. Saying their respective goodbyes, Petra turned to her room and entered it, locking the door behind her. Saitama turned around, and saw that his room was on the opposite side of hers.

"Well that's just convenient," he said, opening the door to his room. He entered his room and closed the door behind him. Walking towards the bed that stood in the upper right corner of his room, he plopped down onto his bed and rested his head on his pillow. Looking up at the ceiling, the Caped Baldy slowly closed his eyes. Just a few more days until the expedition. He wondered, would he be riding a horse? Because if he would, then he'd rather be running.


	5. Chapter 5

The morning sun shined brightly over the dew covered grassy fields near the Survey Corp's HQ. Inside the HQ, near the barracks, soldiers were starting to awaken, either rubbing the sleep out of their eyes or doing some morning exercise. Among those soldiers was Petra. But she did not rub the sleep out of her eyes, nor did she do morning exercise. No, she was currently doing something not a lot of male or female soldiers do. She was doing her hair. Humming a happy tone to herself as she combed her hair down, flinching when she pulled a bit too hard at her comb. Placing the comb on a nearby shelf, she walked towards her mirror. Placing her hands on her hips, she nodded to herself.

"Today's going to a different kind of day," she said to herself, fiddling with her uniform.

Today was indeed going to be a different day. She, along with Olou, had been tasked to watch after Saitama and 'observe' him in a way. She liked the fact she could spent some more time with her new comrade, but disliked the fact Olou was joining her. Not that she did not like Olou, but the way he had been acting recently… scared her. It was like he was having personality switches, or something. Deciding to ignore it, she turned to walk to her room's exit. Grabbing hold of the doorknob and twisting it, she exited her room.

Walking towards Saitama's room, which was opposites of hers. She knocked on the door and waited for him to open. She wondered what Saitama would be doing today. She knew Commander Erwin wanted to talk to him about something, but she was not told what. Also, her curiosity tended to take the better of her from time to time. Luckily she noticed it before someone else did. But now her curiosity was completely focused on one man: Saitama. The man who can defeat Titans with his bare hands.

Petra was shaken out of her thoughts as the door opened, revealing a dressed Saitama.

"Oh, it's you," Saitama said, staring at her with a tired, yet neutral expression. "Listen, I'm going to get some more sleep. Hope you don't-."

"Oh no, mister," Petra cut him off, pushing the door open and grabbing hold of Saitama's wrist. "We need to get you outside. Just because you're strong doesn't mean you can be a slacker!"

"O-okay," Saitama replied, wiggling his wrist out of her grip. "But can we get some breakfast first? 'Cause I'm starving."

"You tend to say that a lot," Petra remarked, stiffening a giggle. "Let's get going, then," she said, turning around. "I heard they're serving some pretty good soup."

Saitama inwardly sighed. The soup he had eaten yesterday wasn't that bad, but it wasn't good either. Either way, he followed the brunette through the hallways of the HQ. They passed several rooms, and in said rooms resided soldiers. Soldiers that all had a look of distrust on their faces when they laid eyes upon Saitama. Not that it bothered him, though. He was used to it by now, these stared of distrust and disapproval. But he didn't become a hero just for the people. No, he did it because he wanted to. Would he ever quit being a hero? He could not say for sure. It was still a fun thing to do. Everyone had their own reasons to become a hero. Some did it for fame, others of glory. Heck, even Genos had his reasons.

Genos. The Caped Baldy wondered how he was doing. Ever since he arrived in this strange world, with absolutely no form of communication whatsoever, he had not been able to know how his disciple was doing. Genos' reasons for becoming a hero were justified, yes, but the teen still had much to learn. Saitama truly wondered when Genos would finally face off against the cyborg who destroyed his hometown. Would he be there to cheer him on? Would he be there to help him out? Either way, these were the thoughts that went on in his mind on his way to the mess hall.

Saitama turned to face Petra who, in return, turned her head to him.

"Is something the matter?" she asked.

"No," Saitama replied. "Just your bed-hair, that's all."

"What?!" Petra exclaimed, holding her head in shock and rubbing her hair down. "I thought I combed it perfectly. Oh, this is so embarrassing."

"I'll never understand woman," Saitama muttered to himself.

"Hey!" Petra said, glaring at him with a shade of red on her face. "Easy for you to say. You don't even have any hair to comb! Don't you know how difficult it can be?"

"Hey, so what if I'm bald!" Saitama retorted.

The two of them butted heads, growling like dogs to one another as a small spark of electricity ignited between them. The two continued to glare at each other, neither flinching.

"Mind telling me what the hell is going on here?"

Both hero and soldier turned their heads to the source of the voice. Petra's eyes widened in shock as she saw who the voice belonged to. Quickly standing at attention, she saluted. "Captain Levi, sir! Good morning!" she greeted her Captain. "How are you feeling, sir?"

"At ease, Petra," Levi said, turning to face Saitama. "I couldn't help but to overhear you conversation. So, you think combing is easy, huh?"

"I never specifically mentioned that," Saitama replied, scratching his cheek.

"I'll have you know it can be very difficult from time to time." Levi stated, crossing his arms. "But what can you expect from a guy who hasn't got a single hair on his head." he smirked.

"Hey, so what if I'm bald! At least my hair doesn't look like a blind person cut it!" Saitama retorted.

The two of them butted heads with one another, growling at one another. Saitama was far taller than Levi, but Levi was not backing out. No, instead he pushed all of his weight into Saitama. Saitama returned the favor, and a small cloud of smoke appeared between their heads. Petra just smacked her forehead and let out a sigh. This was going to be a very different day indeed.

* * *

Eren walked through the gardens of the HQ. He smiled as he watched a few birds flew by, probably heading towards somewhere else. A place where they don't have to live in fear. Not that they had anything to fear. Titans didn't eat birds. Lucky bastards. Letting out a sigh of relief as he sat down underneath a nearby tree, he leaned back into said tree and put his arms behind his head. Today was a good day. He had finished cleaning the stables, and Gunther told him he could take a break… even though he was to be watched at all time. Ah well, Gunther was the one who would get into trouble for forgetting, not him, right?

Closing his eyes, Eren slowly drifted off to sleep.

"Psst."

Too slow.

Eren turned his head sideways, only for him to see nothing but grass and a few flowers. Shaking his head, he closed his eyes once more.

"Up here."

Opening his eyes again, Eren looked up at the tree, anger clearly present on his face. "Hey, would you cut it out? I'm trying to rest!" he hissed at the person who sat on top of a tree branch above him. Peeking his eyes to get a better look, his mouth went slightly agape when he saw who was sitting on said branch. "S-Saitama? Is that you?"

"Oh," Saitama said, jumping down from the tree. "So you know my name," he commented, sitting down next to Eren. "Listen, don't tell anyone I'm here." He said, his tone getting serious ad anxious at the same time.

"Why not?" Eren asked in confusion, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I'm hiding from someone." Saitama replied, leaning to his side and peeking his head around the corner of the tree. "There's this girl with glasses who wants to do experiments on me. I said I wasn't interested in those kinds of things but she just doesn't get the hint."

"Girl with glasses?" Eren repeated, tapping his chin. "You wouldn't be talking about Hanji, now would you?" he asked, tapping Saitama's shoulder.

"Yeah, I believe that's her name." Saitama replied. "Listen," he said, placing both of his hands on Eren's shoulders. "I got separated from Petra and Olaou or whatever his name is. So I asked Hanji if she had seen them. Instead of telling me where they were, she told me she wanted to do experiments on me."

"Just what are you getting at?" Eren asked.

"Just don't tell her where I am!" Saitama said, his tone getting serious once more. "I really want to take a nap without people trying to command me, or trying to slice me open."

"Then let's take a nap together," Eren suggested, holding his hand out. "I'm Eren, but you probably knew that."

"No, I did not," Saitama replied, shaking Eren's hand. Leaning back against the tree, Saitama closed his eyes and let out a sigh of relief. Peace and quiet. Just what he needed.

"Hey, before we drift off to sleep," Eren said. "May I ask you something?"

Saitama nodded his head, but kept his eyes closed.

"What will you do, when you come across another Titan?" Eren asked, looking at Saitama with a serious expression. "I heard the stories. You punched Titans to death with just one punch! And you're just a normal human… or are you something else?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"I'm… not sure," Saitama replied. "From what I've heard these Titans have killed a lot of people. Where I'm from, I fight monsters on a basic level. And what I mean with that is: I fight monsters every day, so I'm not too thrilled about giant humans who just think they can do whatever they want."

Eren gritted his teeth. Giant humans? There was nothing human about them. "But will you help us?" Eren asked, a hint of remorse in his voice. "I just… I just think that with you on our side, humanity might finally be able to overcome their greatest adversary."

"Hm," Saitama mused. "I guess since I've got nothing better to do, and since I'm kind of stuck in here, I'll help you guys out. Maybe I'll even go up in rank if the Hero Association gets word of my actions here," he grinned, smiling widely. "Hey," Saitama said, turning to face Eren, his eyes still closed. "Let's get some much deserved sleep, all right?"

"Sure," Eren replied, putting his hands behind his head. "Though you've probably earned it more than I have."

Was that sentence really true? Sure Saitama had performed acts no human could ever dream to accomplish, but still… with his new ability, perhaps Eren would be able to become more powerful than Saitama. He still had to see Saitama's power first-hand. Punching Titans to death with just one punch, who would have ever thought that was possible.

"Why do you say that?" Saitama asked.

"Say what?" Eren replied in confusion.

"That you haven't earned your rest," Saitama replied, this time opening his eyes to look at Eren. "Everyone deserves their naptime, even you."

Scratching the back of his head, Eren shrugged. "I'm not really sure," he replied. "I was able to control my Titan powers and seal the breach, but you were able to punch Titans over Wall Rose. I know you've probably heard it dozens of times already, but that's something that is impossible."

"The tallest mountain started at a stone, Eren," Saitama said, getting the boy's attention. "I once was weak, but now I've grown. What I mean by that is that everyone starts at the bottom line and has to work their way up to become the best. I might be strong, yes, but that doesn't mean you aren't strong either. There are a bunch of strong people in the world. You just have to find your place among them, that's all."

"But you literally chopped Captain Levi—the man who is supposed to be humanity's strongest—into the floor. How can anyone surpass that?" Eren asked.

Saitama shrugged. "I don't know. That Levi guy wasn't all that strong, though he does know how to use that flying gear of his. I'm surprised he's so small, being called humanity's strongest."

Eren let out a sigh as he closed his eyes. This man was something else, that was for sure. He wondered how the expedition would go, with him one their sides."

* * *

Nighttime had arrived. the sun had descended and the moon had risen. The day went by smoothly for everyone, including Saitama. He got to talk with Erwin about the expedition a bit more, some more training with Levi, and his usual talks with Petra. The Caped baldy walked down the stairs, heading towards the mess hall. Reaching the mess hall, he opened the door and entered it. it was really dark, but he could see everything clearly. In the distance were a few lit candles that stood on a table. And at said table was the Levi squad.

Levi, Petra, Eld, Gunther, Olou, they were all staring at him with mixed expressions planted on their faces. Petra's was happy, while Levi's was bored. Olou's was… Olou's, and Gunther and Eld's were once of distrust. Walking towards the table, Saitama grabbed a chair and sat down on it. "So, you wanted to talk to me." He said, getting straight to the point.

"Yes," Levi replied. "As you all know, Saitama here will be playing a major role in the next expedition. He might be a new member to the team, but he will be treated like he been a part of it for months, got it?"

"But Captain!" Olou said, glaring at Saitama. "The guy is a newbie just like Eren. He doesn't deserve the honor of being called a member until he has returned from his first expedition. Just because some people are telling far-fetched stories about him doesn't mean they're true!"

"They are true, Olou," Levi replied, looking at him with his usual neutral expression. "I saw it with my own eyes. Unless you are implying I am lying to all of you." he said.

"N-no, of course not, sir." Olou replied, bowing his head in shame.

"But still," commented Eld, turning his head to Saitama. "I've yet to see you in action. You better not disappoint me." He smirked.

Saitama nodded his head at him. turning to Levi, he spoke up. "Is this all?" he asked.

Levi shook his head, taking a sip from his tea which he had been holding in his hands for quite some time now. "No, there is one more thing that Erwin wanted me do discuss with you, and I want these guys to hear it too." Levi took quick glances at his squad mates, before continuing. "An expedition is never without casualties. In the past few expeditions we lost many good men. Usually it ends up with us having to retreat after suffering yet another defeat. What I'm about to ask you is going to sound crazy, and I won't judge you if you deny. But Erwin wants you to fend off the Titans who might be chasing us if we—for whatever reason—should retreat. Now I ask of you: Will you do it? will you risk your life for others?"

"Sure," Saitama replied, scratching his nose.

"I just asked you if you're willing to die, and you're not even slightly concerned about your own well-being?" Levi asked, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Nope," Saitama replied, getting off his chair. "Can I go now?"

"Y-yeah, sure you can," Levi replied.

The Levi squad watched as Saitama walked away from them, leaving them to their own. Everyone had looks of confusion on their faces. This guy was crazy. No, calling him crazy would be putting his lightly. It was like he didn't see the point of living anymore. Was he that confident about himself? Sure he was strong, but he had never been on an expedition before.

"The guys is nuts. He's nuts." Olou commented, looking at Levi. "And he's part of our squad. Hah, he'll be dead in the very minute he'll step outside the Walls."

"No, he will not," Levi replied, looking down at his tea. "I know he won't."

"I have to agree with the Captain," Petra said, getting everyone's attention. "Saitama will not disappoint us, I'm sure of it." she smiled. "I just know he won't."


	6. Chapter 6

Saitama walked through the crowded halls of the Survey Corp's HQ. Today was the day. Today he would accompany Erwin to some kind of graduation. What the heck was he supposed to do? It was already getting dark outside and he had no idea how to get those cadets to join the Survey Corps. Erwin, Levi, and eve Petra had told him the Survey Corps had the highest casualty rate of all the three regiments combined. So how the hell would he be able to convince them to join the Survey Corps? It's not like he could lie to them, telling them nothing bad was going to happen. He might have lied to Genos one or two times, but those were lies for his and Genos' own good. Tonight was going to get complicated, that's for sure.

Walking past several soldiers, who did not even take the time to greet him properly, the hero kept his gaze forward. Saitama noticed two soldiers walking towards him. Coming to a halt, Saitama exchanged glances between the two soldiers. "Can I help you?" Saitama asked.

"We're here to inform you Commander Erwin wants you in his office," One of the two said.

"Okay," Saitama replied, waling passed them. He came to a halt once more when he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"He wants you in his office, right now," the other soldier stated, crossing his arms.

Saitama let out a sigh as he nodded his head, following the two soldiers as they walked down the halls. After a few minutes of walking and absolutely no exchange of words whatsoever, the trio reached Erwin's office. Opening the door, Saitama stepped inside. Closing the door behind him, Saitama turned his head towards the Commander, who was seated behind his desk as per usual.

"Saitama, please have a seat," Erwin said, motioning to the chair that stood in front of his desk.

Nodding his head, Saitama did as Erwin said and took a seat in front of the Commander. "So, what do you want?" Saitama asked.

"In just two hours from now I will be attending a graduation. At said meeting the cadets who have graduated will choose which regiment they wish to join. Most of them join the Garrison regiment, where they are safe behind the walls. But some soldiers, soldiers who wish to reclaim what is rightfully ours, wish to join the Survey Corps. I'm not sure how many ill join us, because of the recent attack on Trost, but I hope at least ten will join the Corps." Erwin replied, letting out a sigh before continuing. "We could really use all the help we can get… but now that we have you on our side, things might turn out better than I had first anticipated."

"What do you mean by that?" Saitama asked, raising an eyebrow at the Commander in confusion.

"The rumors about you have spread amongst the soldiers. Even the cadets have gotten word of your presence in the Survey Corps. That is why I want to have you with me on the graduation. I want you to tell them who you are, what you have done, and what you are planning to do. I want you to show them that humanity can be victorious in this fight, and that we will reclaim what was once ours," Erwin replied, slamming both his hands on his desk. "You have to tell them the truth. You have to tell them everything… but I want you to tell it, to the cadets who have decided to stay."

Saitama's expression turned into a serious one. Pointing a thumb at himself, the hero spoke up. "So I'm supposed to tell them that 'everything will be all right?'" he asked.

"In a way," Erwin replied, shrugging. "I will tell them a little bit, and I'll have you finish the job."

"Those kids have been through a lot," Saitama said, leaning back into his chair. "Are you sure they can handle it?"

Erwin nodded. "I am very sure. But there is one more thing," he said, looking at Saitama with a slightly disappointed expression. "Due to the cadets, we have to postpone the expedition for at least a week or two. I am sorry to have to tell you this Saitama, but you will have to wait until you can face off against the Titans once more."

"That's… not important," Saitama replied, rubbing his temples. "What's important is that they train hard, so that they will survive."

"You have a way with words, Saitama," Erwin commented, giving him a small smile. "You care about these soldiers. Or at least that's what it looks like. If you truly want to help them out, though, I'd advice using all of your powers to their full extent."

Use his powers to their full extent? Was that a good idea? Saitama knew he was strong, very strong, but he had never gotten too serious… well, except for Boros, but that was just a decent amount more serious than he usually was. He was able to split the Earth's atmosphere in two for quite some time. Was it permanent? He had no idea. These Titans weren't as much as a thread to him than they were to them. They were just oversized humans in a way, nothing too special about them. But the humans. Eren and the others, they weren't like him. They weren't as strong as him… they never would be. Taking a quick glance at Erwin, who was looking at him with a look of curiosity, Saitama spoke up.

"Listen, I'll do my best, okay? I can't promise more than that." Saitama said, holding his hand in front of his chest. "I can't promise a safe return for everyone. I'm just being honest with you, here."

"I expect nothing less, Saitama," Erwin replied, slowly nodding his head. "Listen, you might be humanity's last hope, should Eren not be able to stop the Titan's advance. I hope you don't die on us this expedition."

Saitama rubbed the back of his head, letting out a loud yawn. "Hey, mind if I take a nap?"

"Yes," Erwin sternly replied. "We have much more to discuss, including you position in the Survey Corps and what role you will be playing in the expedition."

"Alright, let's hear it," Saitama replied, putting his feet on Erwin's desk.

Letting out a sigh of frustration, Erwin spoke up. "You will accompany the Special Operations squad. Your task is to guard Eren Yeager and make sure nothing bad happens to him. I want you to protect him with your life. The long ranged scouting formation will be used, but you will be in the middle, along with Levi and the others. No horses are needed for you, I want to see how strong you really are. Am I understood?" Erwin asked, smiling as Saitama nodded his head. "I am grateful," Erwin sighed, closing his eyes. "Grateful that humanity has been blessed with two capable warriors," he said, opening his eyes to look at Saitama. "You are a key asset, Saitama. When you fight, humanity will be counting on you. Cheering you on. Please don't have us waste the final sparks of hope we have left."

"You're a man who is good with words," Saitama commented. "Failure is something I don't do. I win, I always do."

"You're very confident about your abilities," Erwin said, clasping his hands over one another. "Do not let that confidence turn into arrogance. It's what got most of our soldiers killed."

"I'm no soldier," Saitama retorted.

"As of now, you are an official member of the Survey Corps," Erwin said, getting off his chair. "Let this day be remembered, Saitama. The day humanity's single spark of hope ignited. The day that fire that was once lost be re-kindled." He said, saluting to the Caped Baldy. "Saitama, you will give your life for humanity. You will give your life for the greater good. You will give it… so that others may live to fight another day!"

Saitama got off his chair, stretching his back. "Anything else?" he asked.

"Yes," Erwin replied. "You know what happened to the two Titans Hanji had captured, right?"

"They're dead," Saitama replied.

"Did you have anything to do with it, Saitama?" Erwin asked.

"Nope," Saitama replied. "I was in my room, getting some much deserved sleep."

Closing his eyes, Erwin spoke up. "Where do you think the enemy is, Saitama?"

* * *

This was it. This was their moment. The moment of truth, so to speak. The Garrison Regiment or the Survey Corps. Many had already made their choices. The stars shined brightly in the night sky, and the torches lit he graduation site, providing a reasonable amount of light. There it stood. The stage. The stage were Commander Erwin would give his speech. Cadets, either scarred for life because of the attack on Trost, or saddened by the cremation of their fellow comrades, stood in front of the stage. They were all lined up.

Armin shifted as he turned his head right to look at Mikasa, who had a neutral expression on her face. "Have you made your choice?" he asked, getting her to turn her head to face him.

"Yes," Mikasa replied, turning her gaze forward. "Have you?" she asked.

"I think so," Armin replied. "Hey, have you heard the rumors? It's said that the man who was with Eren in the court room has joined the Survey Corps."

Mikasa's eyes widened a bit. He was in the Survey Corps? But… why? Why him? She had only seen the man twice, but she knew that he wasn't human. No human would be able to do the things he had done. Was he like Eren? No, he didn't turn into a Titan like Eren did. But still… when she saw what he was capable of, it shocked her up to a point she would not sleep. Instead she would ponder over what else he was capable of. But she wasn't the only one. While in the mess hall, she overheard others talking about him as well. How he was 'humanity's savior'.

"Armin," Mikasa said, looking at him. "Even if he is among their ranks, that does not mean you should think highly of him. You have to rely on your own strength, not on that of others."

"But you saw what he was capable of!" Armin retorted.

"Armin, everyone saw!" Mikasa replied.

"Hey, are you guys talking about that bald guy? The guy who punched Titans to death with just one punch?" yelled a soldier form the back line.

"Yeah," shouted a soldier that stood behind Armin. "Something about him being in the Survey Corps, or something!"

"Really? That guy must have a death wish, or something!" shouted another soldier.

Suddenly, a man came walking on the stage. Everyone went silent as they watched the man stand on the stage with much confidence. Putting his hands behind his back, the man spoke up.

"Good evening. My name is Erwin Smith, Commander of the Survey Corps. Today you will choose your regiment. Let's cut to the case, the scouts need you. We need all the warm bodies we can get. After the recent Titan attack, you now know first-hand the horrors of what they're capable, as well as the limits of your own skill. However… this battle's aftermath gave humanity a new chance for victory. I am referring to Eren Yeager," Erwin said, looking to his side as he watched Saitama, Petra, Levi, Mike, Hanji, and many others stare at him. They were all covered up by the curtains which they stood behind, preventing anyone from seeing them. "And Saitama. The man who punched two Titans over Wall Rose."

Mumbled whispers could be heard among the cadets.

"I'm just going to make this quick, since there is someone who would like to have a word with all of you," Erwin informed the cadets. "In a few weeks from now we will commence an expedition outside the Walls, to the Shingashina district. In said district lies the secret to the Titans. A secret provide to us by Eren himself," Erwin said, turning his head to look at Saitama. "Cadets, may I introduce you to humanity's strongest warrior."

Letting out a sigh, Saitama cleared his throat. Looking at Petra, who gave him a reassuring pat on his back, the Caped Baldy walked towards the Commander.

Every single cadet let out a gasp when they saw a pair of red boots come out behind the curtains. They were followed by a pair of red gloves. A finally, there was the bald head. Saitama turned his head to look at the cadets, while walking towards the Commander with a neutral expression on his face. Reaching the Commander, Saitama put his hands in his pockets.

"This is him, cadets. This is the man who will change the world," Erwin informed them. Patting Saitama's back, the Commander walked towards Levi and the others. "Break a leg, champ."

Nodding his head, Saitama cleared his throat as he looked at all of the cadets. _'Crap,'_ he thought to himself as a bit of sweat started to dip down his forehead. _'Should have prepared some kind of a speech, or something.'_ Letting out a sigh, the Caped Baldy spoke up. "So, how's everyone doing tonight?"

No one replied to his question.

"Right," Saitama laughed awkwardly. "All of you have to… uhm… choose a class you wish to join. Now Erwin told me to tell you a little bit about myself, and how I was going to help all of you reclaim your lands." He said, getting everyone's interest. "Well, in a week or two we will go outside the Walls. Meaning that whoever choses to join the Survey Corps must be willing to… uhm… die, I guess?"

Clearing his throat, the hero continued. "You know what," he said, his tone and posture getting serious. "There is a forty percent change you will die on the expedition."

Everyone let out a small sigh of relief.

"The there is a thirty percent chance you will get eaten. Then there is the ten percent chance you will get lost, or lose your horse. And then there is ten percent chance of getting stamped upon. Oh, and let's not forget about the five percent chance of getting mortally wounded," he informed them, staring at them intensely. "And then there is the five percent chance you will survive the expedition."

Everyone's eyes widened in shock as they began to whisper among themselves. Saitama turned his head to Erwin, who was looking at him with a neutral expression planted on his face. It was almost like he did not care about what Saitama had just said. Walking towards Saitama, Erwin gently pushed him aside and spoke up.

"A lot of you will die, I'm not going to lie about that. Saitama is able to handle Titans on his own, and might even save you if you are in trouble. But he cannot be there for everyone, which is why you need to believe in yourselves and in your skills. Those who wish to leave will not be looked down upon, nor will they be called names. It is your own decision," Erwin informed the cadets. "Choose wisely."

Turning to Saitama, Erwin patted he hero's shoulder. "Good job, Saitama. You told them what had to be told… though next time use a little less truth."

Saitama shrugged. "I didn't want to give them false hope," he said, turning his head. "Oh, look," he said, pointing his finger at the cadets. "They're walking away."

Erwin turned to look at the cadets, letting out a sigh while doing so. "This was to be expected." Looking at Saitama, he continued. "Your speech might have been short, but at least it was an honest one. You're dismissed, Saitama."

Nodding his head, Saitama walked off the stage. But before he completely walked off, he could see a few cadets still standing.

One thing was for sure, those cadets had courage

* * *

A/N

First of all I want to thank everyone who has followed, favorited, and reviewed the story. I never though it get this popular, since it was just something that popped up in my head. Be sure to leave a review telling me what you think of the story, it would be much appreciated. In the next chapter preparations will be made for the expedition, and the second chapter the expedition will commence. Again, thank you all for follows, fave's, and reviews.


	7. Chapter 7

Through the ages many heroes have come and gone. Many brave man, woman, and even children have sacrificed their lives for the greater good. Through their courage other heroes were born. Heroes that would continue their legacy, knowing that those who fought evil before them had triumphed. And now there were so many. So many heroes. But none could surpass the man who fought against evil so many times, that it actually bored him. Saitama. The One Punch Man.

A hero is an ordinary individual who finds the strength to persevere and endure in spite of overwhelming obstacles. Saitama ad strength. He had the strength to defeat any evil, whether it'd be big or small, he would defeat it. He was once an ordinary individual… but he was had gotten stronger. He had become the hero he dreamt to be. He fights fair and square, he does not use any form of advanced weaponry or physic powers. No, it's just his own strength.

A great hero once said: 'When your time comes to die, be not like those whose hearts are filled with fear of death, so that when their time comes they weep and pray for a little more time to live their lives over again in a different way. Sing your death song, and die like a hero going home.' And it's true. Because without the heroes, who would protect the people? It takes courage for one to put his life on the line for others. And not everyone can obtain such a great amount of courage. When you have courage, you have strength. And when you have strength, you have a chance to triumph over anything.

It took Saitama three years to reach this point. His courage, his determination, everything had led up to this point. The hero who would surpass everyone. A hero humanity needed. A hero evil would fear. Normally heroes fight monsters, the ones you see in comic books. But Titans? No, no hero could have thought of fighting those. But here he was. Saitama, the man with no limit to his power, fighting against a new evil.

A hero is somebody who is selfless, who is generous in spirit, who just tries to give back as much as possible and help people. A hero to me is someone who saves people and who really deeply cares. But did he really care? His job was to save people, that's what a hero does. But so many humans have already died to monsters, and he could not save them. He is strong, he is determined, he has courage, and he will not stop until this world is free. He will not stop until he has fulfilled his duty. A duty bestowed upon him ever since the day he saved the ball-chinned kid from that crab-human monster. A hero.

* * *

Saitama was happily walking around the Survey Corp's HQ. His hands in his pockets, the hero inhaled the sweet air through his nostrils. It was a peaceful day. The hero could not believe he had been here for two weeks. He wondered how everything was going in City-Z. He wondered if Genos was searching for him. Saitama felt a bit disappointed. He promised Genos he would teach him, take him as his disciple. But now he wat stuck in this strange world. And to top it all off, they didn't have Udon! Letting out a sigh, he continued his walk, only to be stopped by someone calling out to him.

"Saitama, sir!"

Turning around to find out who the voice belonged to, Saitama gave a small wave at a blonde haired boy. "Oh, hello Armin." He greeted the boy.

"Good afternoon, sir," Armin said, saluting to him.

"Don't do that," Saitama said, rubbing his temples. "I'm not a soldier."

"But you are part of the Special Operations squad," Armin remarked. Clearing his throat, he continued. "Listen, this might come over as strange but… could you help me out with something?"

"Sure," Saitama replied, nodding his head. "What is it?"

"I need you to go and have a talk with my friend: Mikasa. She's worried sick about Eren, and she also hasn't been talking as much as she used to. She's usually the silent type, but now she's eve more silent than before," Armin said, holding his chin in thought. "I think it might be because of you. Or your powers, to be precise."

"And why is that?" Saitama asked, raising an eyebrow at him. "Is she jealous, or something?"

"I don't think it has anything to do with jealousy," Armin replied, shaking his head. "Listen, I'm sure you've already been told by the Commander what happened five years ago, right?"

Saitama held his chin in thought. "I'm not sure if I can recall having that conversation."

Letting out a sigh, Armin turned around. "Follow me, will you? I'll lead you to her and tell you something about Eren and Mikasa. But you have to promise to keep it a secret." He said, looking back at him as he began to walk away from him.

Nodding his head, Saitama walked after him. Catching up to him in a matter of seconds as he now walked beside the young soldier.

"About five years ago, Wall Maria was breached," Armin began, recalling the memory. "Me, Eren, and Mikasa all lived in the Shingashina district… the district; were the Colossal Titan appeared and breached the Wall. We were present during the breach. I watched as the Colossal Titan kicked a hole through the wall like it was child's play. The debris from the wall crushed many innocent civilians. And then Eren and Mikasa just… they…. They ran, while I stood there in fear. I was not able to move my body, nor did I have the courage to go with my friends. After a few minutes I ran and I ran until I came across Hannes," Armin couldn't help but smile as he mentioned his name. "I told him Eren and Mikasa went to their home, to get Eren's mother and evacuate. He told me that he'd save them, and I watched him run off. Then my grandfather came and we evacuated together."

Saitama nodded his head, taking in this information.

"B-but then I-I," Armin stuttered, struggling to get the words form leaving his mouth. "I was on the boat, which was headed for Wall Rose. And that's when I saw Eren and Mikasa. Eren looked like he had seen a ghost. His eyes were pale. We met up on the boat and that's when Mikasa told me," he said, struggling to continue. "While heading home, Eren and Mikasa were greeted by a huge boulder that had landed on their house. Eren's mother was still alive, but she was caught underneath the rubble. Her legs were crushed, but she was still alive. They tried to get her out, they tried but… but then a Titan came, and then Hannes arrived and he… he… he brought them into safety."

"Oh, so he saved Eren's mom?"" Saitama asked.

"No," Armin grimly replied, looking down at the ground while continuing to walk towards Mikasa's location. "His mother was not saved. Instead, she was eaten... and Eren just watched as she was devoured in front of his eyes."

A silence befell the two as they continued to walk forward. What was there to be said? Nothing. Seeing your own mother, the one who raised you, the one who loved you get eaten is something no one should see. But he did. Eren did see it, and it would haunt him forever.

"So that's what happened," Saitama commented. "That… is something. The kid must have had a hard time processing it, huh?"

"He has," Armin replied, sighing. "But it's what ignited the spark within him. He vowed to kill every single to avenge his mother. And he will not stop until he has."

"That's pretty ironic," Saitama said, getting Armin to look at him in confusion. "The kid turns into a thing he vowed to kill. He turns into a Titan." He said, looking at Armin. "Kind of ironic, right?"

Suddenly, a female solider came walking towards them glaring at Saitama. The soldier quickened her pace, gritting her teeth in anger as she balled her hand into fists.

"M-Mikasa?!" Armin blurted out, taking quick glances between her and Saitama. "What are you-?"

"Step aside, Armin," Mikasa ordered, now standing directly in front of Saitama. "You and I need to have a talk," she said, glaring daggers at him.

"Okay," Saitama replied, a neutral expression planted on his face as he looked down at Mikasa. "What do you want to talk about?"

"You're with Eren, right? You're with the Special Operations squad, right?" Mikasa asked, getting confirmation as Saitama nodded his head. "That means you are the one who will be responsible of his life. I promised someone I would take care of him, and I tend to keep that promise. If I find out something bad happened to him, then I will personally make sure you will never walk again." She said, her glaring intensifying. "You must think you're 'hot stuff', right? Being able to punch Titans over the Walls with little effort. Well, I'm not impressed. You might be strong, but I doubt you have the courtesy to treat us like your equals. You're assigned to Levi squad, most of the soldiers are either scared or curious about you, and the so called 'humanity's strongest' has some sort of respect for you."

Saitama's expression turned into one of boredom. He let out a loud yawn, rubbing his eyes as he smacked his dry lips together. "Is that all?" he asked.

"You—you bastard!" Mikasa shouted at him. Raising her arm, Mikasa launched a punch at the Caped Baldy. Her eyes widened in shock as she felt her fist being blocked by Saitama's red-gloved hand. She suddenly felt an enormous pressure on her hand, and she felt to the ground, her fist still in Saitama's iron grip. She could feel her fingers were about to snap. Through gritted teeth she looked up at Saitama, who looked down at her with a neutral expression. "Let go of my hand!" she demanded, punching his hand with her fee hand. Her eyes widened once again as her other hand was caught by Saitama's hand. He squeezed her hand, making her flinch in pain as she was now at Saitama's mercy. "L-let go of me you bastard! I'm the one who protects him, not you! I promised her! I promised!"

"Who did you promise?" Saitama asked, his tone and expression turning serious.

Mikasa grumbled as she tried to wiggle out of Saitama's grip. "Like hell I'm telling you!" she shouted. "You don't know what it's like, you never will! You have strength, you have courage, but some of us lack that! You would never understand how it feels to beak weak."

"Armin," Saitama said, turning his head to look at him. "Take her and get her to chill out," he said, letting go of Mikasa's hands. "I'm not talking to someone who doesn't want to listen."

"Screw you, you bastard!" Mikasa shouted, looking down at her hands as she struggled to move her fingers. "Fight me! Fight me right here, right now!" she demanded, standing up as she got into a battle stance. "I'm not leaving until you actually punch back!" she shouted, glaring at him with a sense of anger she had not felt in a long time.

"I'm not fighting you," Saitama deadpanned. "This is nothing personal, though."

"Bastard!" Mikasa shouted, running up to Saitama as she launched a punch at him once more. 'I don't care if he breaks my hands, I just have to show him. I have to show him that I can protect Eren.'

Mikasa was surprised to see Saitama had not moved an inch. Her eyes widened in shock as her punch collided with his face. Her eyes widened in shock as she stumbled backwards, looking at her fist in utter shock. "I-I don't know... I just thought…" she trailed off, looking at Saitama. She looked at him with a sense of fear befalling her. But he looked at her with a neutral, yet bored expression planted on his face.

"You happy now?" Saitama asked, putting his hands in his pockets. "You punched me. Yay for you, right?"

Mikasa just continued to look at him, shock still present on her face.

"Just why are you so angry?" Saitama asked, slowly walking towards her.

"B-because," Mikasa stuttered, trying to get the words to leave her mouth.

"Because of what?" Saitama asked.

"Because of you!" Mikasa blurted out. "You're strong. You're stronger than anyone could veer dream of, and yet you act like you don't give a damn about your own power! It's like you don't care about anything! With powers like yours you could have easily finished off every single Titan in the entire world! And yet here you are, joining an expedition that will most likely result into the death of a lot of soldiers! You said you were a hero. Well heroes are supposed to lay down their live for the lives of others, right? Isn't that like 'the moral code' every hero lives by?" she asked, catching her breath before continuing. "Where were you five years ago? Where were you when the Titans laid waste to Wall Maria? Where were you when… when it seemed all hope was lost? Where were you, huh? Answer me, you bastard!"

"Mikasa, please," Armin began, only to be stopped by Saitama.

"I see," Saitama said, looking at her with a serious expression. "It's that time of the month, right?" he whispered in her ear, his tone suddenly getting normal and kind of obvious. "I appreciate you wanting to talk to me about this, but you should probably look for someone who has the same reproducing organ as yours."

"You- you perverted bastard!" Mikasa yelled, blushing furiously. "You think this is a joke?!"

"No, woman take these things really seriously," Saitama replied, crossing his arms. "I'd advice getting tampons, and maybe eat some ice cream."

"Why you!" Mikasa yelled, ready to hit him again.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

Everyone turned their heads to see a familiar Titan transforming boy running up to them.

"Eren," Mikasa said, her posture suddenly degrading to that of shame. "What are you-?"

"What the hell do you think you're doing?!" Eren shouted at his adopted sister, grabbing her by her collar. "You're attacking humanity's savior. What the hell is your problem, you idiot?!"

"Eren, I-."

"Shut the hell up, idiot!" Eren interrupted her, pushing her away, accidentally pushing her into Saitama. "You better apologize right now!"

Turning around to look up at Saitama, she was surprised to see him shake his head. "Don't," he whispered. "All of you," he said sternly, getting their attention. "Return to the barracks at once! Armin, you're in charge." He said, turning around and walking away from them.

"M-me?!" Armin blurted out in shock, taking quick glances between his friends.

* * *

Night time had arrived. The nights were usually peaceful and quiet, and this night was no different than the others. Mikasa laid on her bed, under the warmth of her sheets as she stared at the ceiling of her room. Why? Why did she acted the way she had to Saitama? Eren was right, he was humanity's savior… but still, the thought of a stranger having to look after Eren's life haunted her mind. She promised Carla. She promised Eren's mother that's she would look after him. And now a total stranger pops up form out of nowhere and starts taking over her duty.

 _'But when he blocked my attack,'_ Mikasa though to herself, wiggling her fingers underneath the blankets. _'It was like he wasn't even trying. It felt like he was about to crush my hands, but the expression he had told me that he wasn't even trying. For him it must have felt like he was just holding my hands, or something,'_ Mikasa blushed at the thought. _'The pervert, actually having the guts to tell a woman she's on her period.'_

Letting out a sigh, Mikasa turned to lay on her side. Perhaps she had overreacted a little… but he was still a bastard, and a pervert at that.

* * *

Saitama looked up at the beautifully star-lit night sky. He found out he was not able to sleep so he decided to head up the roof of the HQ to look at the stars. He sat on a small wall, his eyes slightly opened as he let out a yawn. Turning his head, Saitama noticed something. There were three names written on a stone, a stone which he had recently been sitting on. Peeking his eyes to get a better look, Saitama read the names.

 _Levi._

 _Farlan._

 _Isabel._

He knew who Levi was, but who were the other two? Hm, perhaps he'd have to ask him.


	8. Chapter 8

**First of all I apologize for the long wait, but I had a test week I had to study for. Also, there were some complaints about the last chapter. Specifically the confrontation between Saitama and Mikasa. Let me just tell you what was going through my mind when I was writing said confrontation right now.**

 **Mikasa is very protective of Eren, and she was already angered that he was put under the protection of Levi and his squad. Now that was already angering her. But then Saitama—a guy who clearly does not care much about the situation, from her perspective—comes in and is suddenly 'promoted' to become Eren's guardian. Mikasa made Eren's mother a promise to protect him. How would you feel when someone who clearly does not care—again, it's from her perspective. Saitama does care, I know that since I am a really big OPM fan—about anything comes in and just 'breaks' your promise?**

 **Right, that was what I wanted to get cleared out. Now enjoy the new chapter!**

* * *

Being tired was not uncommon, especially for Saitama. A long time ago when he first started his intense training routine, he got tired very easily. A normal man would not have started doing his training routine, since it would put an immense stress on the body if you had not properly trained beforehand. Normally one would start doing ten to twenty push-ups, and then start to train his way up to reach one hundred. But where those people training their body just for show? Or where they actually trying to accomplish something? A lot of times people judge themselves too harshly. They either think they're too fat, or have little to n condition whatsoever. Judging yourself like that would be considered a lack of self-esteem. Or a lack of 'having no fate whatsoever in your own body and soul'.

So what would people do when they thought of their goals as impossible? They searched for different methods, often resulting in them using steroids. Nowadays steroids are outdated, and most people go for a full body modification. But eventually everyone would get tired of doing the same routine over and over again. And Saitama was no different than those other people. It was almost the same routine for him as well. He'd get up, eat breakfast, teach Genos somethings—well, it mostly consisted of Saitama telling Genos something he had heard on TV, or something that popped up in his mind. But nonetheless, Genos always took his advice like his life depended on it. Genos was a strange boy. Nineteen years old, and wanting to get revenge. His core filled with hatred towards one being: The cyborg that killed his family, and wiped out his village.

Revenge can be a powerful thing, but it can also be ones greatest adversary. Revenge can blind you judgment, and when you make hasty decisions because of your thirst for revenge, one might just end up making the wrong decision. He'd seen it before. Who knows how many people, monsters, villains, and whatever foes he had faced wanted to kill him. Wanted to have their revenge on him. Their revenge on Saitama. It was something every villain dreamed of… well, that would be the case of they even knew who he was. Speed o' Sound Sonic is one of those villains. Train hard… those were the words of advice Saitama gave the supersonic ninja when they had their first fight. Did he train hard? Was he still training hard? Saitama did not know, but he would have liked to.

Out of all the monsters he had defeated, all of the villains he'd put behind bars, he would have never thought he'd be fighting Titans. These Titans, the 'monsters', they ate humans. They did not seek world domination, not did they show the slightest of intelligence. No. They just wanted one thing: To eat humans. Why did they eat humans? No one truly knew. It might be because it's the only thing they can eat, or perhaps they're just doing it because they have nothing better to do. Well, whatever their reasons were, the brave soldiers of humanity would put a stop to their reign of terror. They would reclaim their land, using two key-assets in their conquest. Eren Yeager, the boy who possessed the ability to transform into a Titan… and Saitama, a human with no limit to his power.

Today was the day the expedition outside of the Walls would commence. The entire expedition force stood in front of the gate that would soon be opened, granting them access to Titan territory. Townsfolk were present at the scene. Some were skeptical, thinking that this expedition would be another waste of their money, and a waste of souls. Others were cheering them on, telling them to take back what is rightfully theirs. Their homeland, Humanity's land, to be precise. Everyone was dressed in their uniform, the Wings of Freedom emblem present on their back and shoulders. The Wings of Freedom, they would be put to the test today once more… though not everyone carried one.

There is one specific person who refused to let Petra sew the emblem of the Survey Corps on the back of his outfit, and on his shoulders. Saitama, the man with no limit to his power.

Today was going to be a bad day. A bad day to be a Titan.

* * *

Saitama looked around him, looking up at the horses of his companions who towered over him. He had found out that Erwin truly was a man of his word when he said Saitama would not be needing a horse. Not that he cared that he had to run the entire expedition. Heck, it'd be a good workout. Perhaps one of the Titans would prove a challenge to him… yeah, probably not. Letting out a sigh as he looked up at Erwin, he rubbed the back of his head and spoke up.

"Hey, mind telling me again what my role is in today's pick nick is again?" he asked, earning a stiffed giggle from Petra, who's horse was standing behind Saitama.

"As I told you before," Erwin replied, looking down at him as Petra's giggling came to a halt as she saw the serious look on Erwin's face. "You are to protect Eren at any cost. You will stay in formation no matter what happens. If you see someone get killed, stay in formation. If Levi, or any other of your team members are killed, you stay in formation. If you and Eren are the only ones left, you stay in formation. Only if you are certain that Eren is safe are you allowed to take matters into your own hands, as long as it does not endanger the lives of others. Has this refreshed you memory, Saitama?"

"I guess," Saitama replied, scratching his nose. "But… what if I have to go to the bathroom?"

Erwin deadpanned, while several others, including Levi, smacked their forehead.

Everyone was abruptly cut off, however, when the gate started to be raised, signaling the beginning of the expedition.

"Attention!" Erwin shouted, getting the attention of all of his soldiers. "Today is the day humanity will thrive. In the Shingashina district lies the answer we all yearn for. Today we will take back what was once ours, or die trying. There is no other way to put it than to say: Let this day be remembered as the day you got to see the world for what it really is!" Erwin said, raising his sword. "Forward!"

Everyone all let out cries of hope and roars of vengeance as the rode out of the safety of the Walls, and into Titan territory. Saitama quickly ran after them. Keeping up with the horses was easy, a little too easy to be honest. Saitama turned his head backwards, looking at Petra as she looked at him. She winked at him, and motioned for him to keep his eyes forward. And so the Caped Baldy did. He turned his head forward. He suddenly heard a groan, a groan he had heard many timed before. Turning his head sideways, Saitama watched as a 10-meter class Titan emerged from between many of the destroyed buildings.

Getting ready to face it, Saitama quickly wanted to come to a halt, but was stopped by Levi before he could do it.

"Is your memory that short?" Levi asked, glaring at him. "The covering team will take care of the Titan. Erwin told you to stay in formation no matter what. You were about to disobey his order. That could get you court-martialed, or even worse, killed," he said, shaking his head. "I'm not going to lie to you, but you're about to see a lot of these men get killed. You will not enjoy it, no one does. But remember that this is what they signed up for. They know what they are getting themselves into, and they are willing to sacrifice their lives for the greater good. Always remember that." And with that said, the Captain turned his gaze forward.

Taking a quick glance at the covering team, he watched as they tried to kill the Titan. He really wanted to help, but he also didn't want to mess up the mission.

"Think of it this way!" a voice called out to him.

Turning his head backwards, Saitama looked and saw that it was Petra who had called out to him.

"You'll get the chance of seeing some of our soldiers in action. I think you might be surprised of our capabilities!" Petra continued.

Nodding his head, Saitama turned his gaze forward once more.

Every single soldier of the Survey Corp who was not watching his front, was defiantly looking at Saitama with their mouths agape. This man was able to keep up with their horses. Horses that were specially bred for this kind of work for crying out loud! They had no idea he was this good! They all couldn't help but think what else he had in store for them. Well, they would just have to wait and see.

Eren looked at his friends and fellow comrades as they paid attention to the fields ahead of them.

"Sir Olou, can my friends really defeat the Titans?" Eren asked with worry.

"Huh?" Olou questioned. "What have you been doing for the past month? Listen, brat, the most crucial part in the expedition is to avoid fighting Tit-"

Olou cut himself off as he accidentally bit his tongue.

Eren didn't say anything as he looked forward, not even asking if Olou was all right. He took a deep breath trying to calm his nerves. He hoped that this mission would be a success. With him on their side humanity could finally be able to turn the tables. He would kill every single Titan, and finally have his revenge... but then there was him. Eren turned his head to look at Saitama, and was shocked to see the neutral, almost bored expression he had on his face. Was he not frightened by the fact he might get killed? Even though he possessed abilities far beyond human understanding, it still didn't make any sense. He was still a normal human being. He has to eat and drink to survive, right? So why wasn't he showing any signs of emotion? Was he really not scared? Did this mission seem boring to him?

Eren gritted his teeth as he glared at Saitama. Sire they had a nice talk a few day before the expedition, but still… the look on his face just didn't appeal him. It made him… angry, for some reason. Shaking his head, Eren turned his gaze forward.

"Go into the long-range scouting formation!" Erwin instructed.

"See ya, Armin," Reiner said before falling behind.

"Don't piss your pants if a Titan come and tries to kill you," Jean advised before falling behind as well.

"You too," Armin said. Looking off into the distance, he noticed a bald head. Was that Saitama? And if he was, then why was he in the middle? Deciding to ignore it, Armin focused on the task at hand.

* * *

Flares. Flares everywhere. Saitama watched as Olou shot up a green flare, signaling the others that the situation was under control. They weren't even two hour into the operation and they had already suffered severe losses. He was with Levi and his squad, making a total of six soldiers and one hero. So many flares… so many dead. It almost made him flinch. Almost.

"Black flares?" he heard Eren say in shock.

Turning his head to the side Saitama indeed saw that black flares were shot up into the sky, leaving a trail of black smoke behind them. Black flares… an abnormal Titan. This was not good. If one of them made their way into the formation and reached one of the carts carrying supplies, then the result would be catastrophic.

"Eren, you shoot!" Levi ordered, looking at Eren.

Eren was snapped out of his gaze as he turned his head to Levi. "Yes, sir!" he replied. Grabbing hold of his flare gun, he loaded the black smoke signal into it and raised his arm, so that the pistol would be pointing upwards. Pulling the trigger, the flare was shot out of the pistol, leaving a trail of smoke behind.

"Look at that," Levi muttered to himself, glaring as he kept his gaze forward. "They managed to reach this deep into the formation."

 _'The Titans are so nearby,'_ Eren thought to himself as he stared at the flares other soldiers had fired. _'Someone is fighting underneath those flares.'_

"Yo, Levi," Saitama called out to the Captain, making him turn his head.

"What is it now?" Levi asked, slightly irritated.

"What do we do when one of those Titans get to us?" Saitama asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Then you can have your way with them, Saitama," Levi replied, turning his gaze forward once more. "I'm sure you can come up with something."

Saitama inwardly shrugged at his remark. Looking off into the far distance, Saitama noticed a forests. A very big forest at that. Raising an eyebrow, he shook his head as he quickened his pace.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?" Levi demanded.

"Going to the bathroom!" Saitama retorted. "I'll be at the forest. Can't have you guys wait for me!"

"Don't you dare break format-."

Levi cut off his own demand as he watched Saitama run away from them with incredible speed, leaving behind a trail of dust which entered their eyes. Rubbing the dust out of his eyes, Levi glared forward. Saitama, the stubbornness of that guy was even higher than his own. Going to the bathroom? Yeah, right, like he would believe that.

"Captain!" Gunther called out to him as he rode beside him. "Should I go after him, sir?"

"No," Levi replied, sighing. "He probably already reached the forest. There's nothing we can do than to catch up with him," he said. "I just hope he keeps his word that he'll be waiting for us."

"You have to give it to him," Gunther said, chuckling to himself. "He is quite enthusiastic from time to time. Though I wonder how far that enthusiasm of his will get him when he faces an abnormal."

"I don't think he's enthusiastic," Levi retorted, making Gunther raise an eyebrow at his statement. "From the looks of it, it seems that we're only slowing him down. I am seriously considering telling Erwin to send Saitama to the Shingashina district on his own, should the expedition fail."

"But it won't fail," Gunther retorted, giving his Captain a firm nod. "This time we'll win, I'm sure of it."

Slowly nodding his head, Levi turned his gaze forward once more. This time he would not let anyone distract him, Saitama was waiting for him and the others, and he knew that without his help, the expedition might turn out a completely different way.

Within a few minutes the Levi squad had reached the forest's entrance. They all entered the forest, but there was one slight problem… no Saitama. He was nowhere to be found.

"Where the hell is he?" Eld asked Levi.

"I'm as clueless as you are, Eld," Levi replied. _'What are you doing Saitama? I know Erwin told you you could take matters into your own hands, but I didn't expect you to do it this soon.'_ Levi thought to himself as he and his squad advanced further into the forest.

* * *

"Hey, what are we doing at this tourist spot?" Jean questioned as they were riding around the forest, "We're totally off from our destination and from the return point."

"I don't know," Armin answered, "but the order did come from Commander Erwin after all. He must have a plan."

"What kind of plan?" Jean asked, "Are they planning to hold a welcome ceremony for us new recruits at a tourist spot?"

"I don't think so," Armin answered.

"That was a joke," Jean clarified. "Anyway, that giant woman is following us. Either way, we can't stay here. The only thing I can imagine is that we're going to do something else."

"Everyone, halt!" An elite ordered.

Everyone stopped in front of a large set of trees before getting off their horses.

"All right, listen up, recruits," the soldier began, "We are now going to make a counterattack. Draw your blades and wait in the trees. If any Titans enter the forest, stop them at all costs."

"U-uhm sir, what are you-"

"Shut up and follow orders!" he demanded before going in the tree.

"Seriously? What's going on?" Jean demanded.

* * *

"Captain Levi!" Eren called out.

"What?" Levi answered in irritation.

"Well, we're in the middle of the woods," Eren began, "If the center enters alone, we won't know if Titans are coming."

"Don't go on about the obvious," Levi answered, "We can't do any of that anymore. But look around you, those big-ass trees, it's the perfect environment for 3D gear. And use that tiny head of yours. If you don't want to die, think."

"But what about Saitama?" Eren asked. "We don't even know where he is. We don't even know what happened to him. Did he leave us? Is he helping others?"

"No," Levi answered.

"Then what is he doing?" Eren demanded.

"Saitama willingly left on his own, because Erwin gave him permission. It seems that Erwin has put a lot of faith in him," Levi explained, "He made the decision to fight. When we go back it won't help the situation. Saitama is on his own for now. But you and I both know what he's capable of, or have you forgotten the two Titans he punched over the Wall with little effort?"

Eren gritted to his teeth as he scowled to himself. Sadly Levi was right. He hate to admit it, but Saitama was indeed stronger. Stronger than anyone he had ever met. Sure he hadn't faced off against Saitama in his Titan form, but the outcome would probably be the same. He'd get beaten into submission with just one punch.

He looked over at his comrades and widened his eyes to see that they all had worried faces. Did they not know what was going on? Did Levi know what was going on?

Eren and the rest of the squad widened their eyes as they heard loud rumbling noises followed by a punching sound. They all looked up to see a black smoke round being fired into the air.

"A black smoke round?" Eren questioned.

"It's from directly behind us," Olou realized.

"It must be the Female Titan," Eld said.

"Draw your blades," Levi ordered as he pulled his out. "If we see it, it'll only be for a second."

Eren looked behind him as he heard nothing but silence. He hated how he knew that there was a threat, but that he couldn't see it. His heart was beating louder and louder as he heard something getting closer.

"Hi."

Eren's heart skipped a beat when he saw Saitama run beside him. Screaming out in terror, the young soldier quickly tried to regain his composure as he glared at him. "What the hell are you doing, you freaking idiot?!" he exclaimed, gritting his teeth. "We all thought you were dead!"

"Oh, I'm not dead. I just wanted to explore the forest a bit, see what kinds of animals live in here. I also had to go take a pee, so that's also why I am here… in the forest. But what are you guys doing? And what's this about a female Titan?" Saitama replied, raising an eyebrow at him.

"A female-form Titan has penetrated our formation and killed a lot of our men," Petra replied, riding beside Saitama. "We are to keep Eren safe from danger, and that includes the female Titan.

"Oh," Saitama replied. "That sounds… smart?"

Petra deadpanned as she let out a sigh. "You really aren't taking this seriously, aren't you?" she asked.

"Taking what seriously? I just thought it'd be a good idea to catch up with you guys, at least that's what Erwin ordered me to do-."

"What he is trying to say is," Levi interrupted him. "He'll be staying at our side now, not leaving us again unless it is absolutely necessary."

Saitama gave him a thumbs up, running up to him as he now ran beside the Captain. "So… any idea how much more we'll have to run?" he whispered to him.

"Listen," Levi whispered back. "You answered Erwin's question correctly for some reason. You act oblivious but it seems that you're kind of smart in some situations. We'll capture the female Titan, without you having to kill it."

"Okay," Saitama replied, nodding his head. "I think the rest of your group is probably going to hate you for keeping this a secret from them."

"I'm prepared to take full-."

Levi was cut off by an ear deafening sound. Everyone turned their heads backwards only to see a soldier soaring through the trees, only for him to be caught by a giant hand and slammed into a nearby tree, splattering his insides along with several cracked pieces of bone on several trees. Then it emerged and started running towards the Levi squad. The thing that had been chasing them. The thing that had killed so many of their men. The female Titan.

"Looks like it took the bait," Levi whispered as he looked at Saitama. "I know this might sound strange, but try not to punch it too hard should it resist the next face of our plan. We still need the intel, remember?"

Saitama nodded, turning his head back to the female Titan. Genos would have enjoyed facing off against this thing. Perhaps if he were here, Saitama would have let him.

* * *

 _A few days before the expedition, Erwin's office…_

 _"Where do you think the enemy is?" Erwin asked the Caped Baldy, crossing his arms._

 _"The enemy?" Saitama questioned, raining eyebrow. "That line reminds me of a movie I once watched. The enemy had infiltrated the group which was fighting against some kind of corrupt government force and-."_

 _"So you do know," Erwin remarked, letting out a chuckle. "Out of all the people, you answer my question with an answer I can use."_

 _"Wait, I didn't answer anything. I just said that-._

 _"There is a spy amongst us. A spy of the enemy."_

 _Saitama smacked his forehead. And they called him obvious?_


	9. Chapter 9

No member of the Special Operations squad had ever felt as terrified as they were right now. Not only where they being chased by probably one of the dangerous foes they had ever encountered, but their Captain was not even giving them permission to engage it. Heck, he wasn't even answering their questions. This wasn't the Captain Levi they all respected and served under… no, it was like something was bugging him.

"Captain, please let us switch to our 3D maneuver gear and take it out!" Petra begged, her tone full of fear as she took a quick glance back at the female Titan, who killed off yet another soldier.

Again, Levi did not reply or even look back.

"I'll turn it into minced meat!" Eld said, anger and frustration clearly present in his voice. He turned to look at Saitama. "Saitama, why the hell aren't you engaging the enemy?! I thought you said you didn't take orders too well!?" he shouted at the baldy, who did the same as Levi, not even facing him or giving him an answer. "What the hell?" Eld said to himself. "First we go into the forest, and now Captain Levi will not let our most powerful weapon engage? Just what the hell is going on?"

"Everyone, cover your ears." Levi ordered as he reached for his flare gun. He pointed it upwards and pulled the trigger, sending out an ear-deafening sound.

"A sound blast?" Eren questioned while covering his ears.

"What is your job?" Levi asked, this time turning to face them. "Does it entail letting yourself be ruled by fickle emotions? Not in my book. Our squad's mission is to keep this stupid kid far out of harm's way," he said, turning his head forward as he continued. "Even if it costs us our lives."

Eren looked at his Captain in shock? It wasn't to keep watch over him? His eyes suddenly widened as he realized why Saitama was with the squad. He was there as a last effort, should everyone else fail to protect him. Because of his abilities he'd be able to take the female Titan head on. But… why wasn't he taking it on right now? He could finish it off with one swift blow, and they'd be safe and sound. Why the hell wasn't Saitama fighting back?! Why wasn't the so called savior of humanity saving humanity? Gritting his teeth in anger, Eren tugged at his horse as it sped up, making him run beside Saitama as he turned his head to look at him. "What the hell are you doing?! Why aren't you attacking?"

"Eren, get back into formation!" Petra ordered.

Eren, ignoring the female soldier, continued. "Everyone is thinking so highly of you. Everyone think you'll be the one to put an end to all of this. So why the hell aren't you doing what you are supposed to do?! Why aren't you fighting?!"

"Eren," Levi said, glaring at him. "Get back in formation and leave Saitama out of this."

Eren gritted his teeth as he felt a sudden rush of anger overtake him. He let out a sigh before falling back into his original position.

"We'll continue fleeing on horseback. Got it?" Levi said, looking forward again.

"Yes, sir!" Petra replied. She looked at Saitama, her expression turning into one of frustration and confusion. _'Eren's right about one thing,'_ she thought to herself. _'Everyone, even Captain Levi said that you'd save us. They all said so. So why aren't you helping us, Saitama?'_

"Continue fleeing? To where?" Eren asked, looking back. "Besides, it's already right on our asses!" he exclaimed, looking up at the female Titan. His eyes widened as he saw two soldiers flying through the trees. Now flying beside the female Titan, Eren watched in horror as the soldiers drew their blades. "Again?! The reinforcements!" he exclaimed in shock. "If we don't help, they'll get wiped out like the others."

"Eren, eyes forward!" Gunther ordered, glaring at him.

"Gunther!" Ern said, looking at him in shock.

"Don't slow down! Keep going full speed!" Eld added, looking at him with determined filled eyes.

"Eld," Eren said, turning to face him. "Why? If the Levi squad doesn't stop it, who will?"

Eren turned his head backwards to see a long haired soldier go straight for the Titan's face. The female Titan raised its hand and went in for the kill. Grabbing hold of the poor soldier, she smacked her hand into a nearby tree. Eren's eyes widened in horror as he watched the scene unfold. "Another fatality, we might have been able to-."

Before Eren could continue, he felt a set of hands grasp around his waist. Turning his head, he realized that it was the soldier whom he had seen getting crushed was now sitting on his horse, holding on to his waist. "What the hell is this?!" Eren exclaimed.

"I don't know!" the soldier replied in shock. "One moment I'm fighting that thing, the other moment I'm sitting on this horse, holding on to you!"

"Then who the hell?" Eren said in confusion. Turning his head once more to see what was going on behind them, his eyes widened once more when he saw Saitama jump on a nearby tree. There was still another soldier near the female Titan, and he was about to engage it, but Saitama pushed himself off the tree and—with immense speed—grabbed hold of the soldier. Jumping to another tree, Saitama did the same thing. Ern watched as the female Titan seemingly followed his every move. She waved her hands around furiously, like it was trying to swat a fly. The 'fly'—being Saitama—just jumped from tree to tree, while the soldier was resting on his shoulder. Finally having enough of playing catch, Saitama jumped towards Gunther's horse and placed the soldier on it. The soldier, holding back from vomiting out his meal, turned to face Saitama.

"T-Thank you, sir," the soldier thanked him, nodding his head.

Saitama gave him a two fingered salute, before running towards Levi.

"See, I knew he had it in him!" Petra said, making Eren face her directly. "I knew he'd help us. He was just waiting for the right time, that's all."

Eren said nothing as he looked forward at Saitama. He might have helped to save those two soldiers, but he didn't kill the Titan. Why the hell didn't he kill it? Was he scared he might not have the strength to take it down? Why the hell was he not fighting back… why was Eren relying on other people? He could stand his own against that thing. He could fight for his own. Yeah, that's right, he didn't need to rely on others. He could just kill it right here right now, and no one would blame him. Locking down at his hand, Ern opened his mouth and slowly closed his jaw. This was it. No turning back now. They might think ill of him after this, but at least he did the right thing. Slowly closing his eyes, Eren prepared himself.

"What are you doing, Eren?" Petra shouted to him, looking at him with a shocked, but rather angered expression. "You're only permitted to do that when your life is in danger. Didn't you make us that promise?"

Eren looked at her for a brief moment. Perhaps she was right. He did make her that promise. He promised everyone that he would only transform when his life was in danger. But… his life was in danger. The female Titan was on their tail and a lot of men had already died because of it. Were it not for Saitama, those other two soldiers would have died as well.

"Whatever you're planning on doing," the soldier who was sitting behind Eren said. "Please don't do it. I don't know what you promised them exactly, but I'm guessing it's something important."

Important? Ha, promises are meant to be broken. Turning his gaze away from Petra, Eren got ready to transform.

"Eren!" Petra called out to him once more, trying to get him to stop.

"You're not wrong," Levi suddenly chimed in, making everyone look at him. "Do as you must do. It's clear to me… He's truly a monster. It's not because he can transform into a Titan. No matter how you try to suppress him, whatever cage you lock him inside… he will never submit. Not to anyone. Eren, our decision contradicts your sensibilities because of the gap in experience between us. However, you don't have to depend on that experience. Decide. Will you trust only in your own strength? Or will you put your faith in the Survey Corps, including myself? I don't know the answer," Levi admitted. "I never have… Whether I believe in myself or whether I rely on my comrades… Either way. No one knows the outcome." He said, his gaze kept forward. "That said, all you can do is… try your best to make a decision you won't regret."

Eren's eyes widened once more at the Captain's words. What should he do? Should he rely on others? Or should he overcome this obstacle on his own. Looking down at his hand, Eren once again opened his mouth.

"Eren." Petra said, getting him to face her once more. "Have faith."

 _"I figured out a way to avoid killing you."_

Those were the words that echoed through Eren's head as he recalled a certain memory. Perhaps they were right all along. What if fighting on his own was the wrong decision? He had just gained their trust, and now he was willing to put all of that on the line just because of one tough Titan? H had to have faith in them. Taking quick glances at everyone, he stopped when his gaze was fixed upon Saitama. Was he really what he called himself? Was he really a hero? This man was no ordinary man, far from it. He couldn't be called a mortal man. He couldn't even be called human anymore. This man… the things he was capable of... everyone had faith in him, even Captain Levi and Commander Erwin. It was almost like they thought that Saitama was the solution to all of this. To ending the war… perhaps he was. Perhaps he was the solution. He was strong, stronger than anyone… even stronger than Eren's Titan form.

"Saitama, sir!" Eren called out to the hero. "Promise me when this is over, you tell me how you got so strong. I want to be like you—no, I need to be like you!"

"Eren, make your decision!" Levi cut in, silencing Saitama before he could reply. "Don't drag Saitama into this!"

Eren closed his eyes and gritted his teeth. "I'll keep running!" he shouted, making everyone look at him in shock.

And so they continued fleeing. The female Titan was still on their tail, but they didn't care. They would keep running. They would keep fleeing. They would keep Eren safe, even if it costs them their lives.

"We're almost there," Levi whispered to Saitama. "You know what to do. We'll need your help extracting whoever is inside that thing, got it?"

Saitama nodded his head, looking back at the female Titan, who was now reaching out for Eren, trying to get a hold of him. Was he going to kill the Titan? No. Was he going to hurt it? Maybe, but probably not. He was only going to help extracting the person inside it, nothing more.

After a few minutes of running, the Levi squad reached an open area. The female Titan smacked her fist down on the ground, almost hitting Eren. The female Titan then turned her head, only to be greeted by dozen of Survey Corps soldiers who were standing high on several tree branches.

Erwin, who was hanging down a tree, his feet neatly planted on the tree's surface, spoke up. "Fire!" he ordered, slashing his blade at the air. Seconds later loud explosions followed, sending a barrage of— what appeared to be a bigger and more deadly version of the cables 3D maneuver gear—at the Titan. The spears made impact with the Titan, piercing its skin as the Titan raised his arms and rested her hands on her neck, protecting her nape.

The entirety of Levi squad, expect for Levi and Saitama, looked back as a cloud of smoke blurred their vision, preventing them to see what was happening.

"Move a little further ahead and tether your horses, drop off the two soldiers and then switch to 3D maneuver gear," Levi ordered, looking down at Saitama. "The two of us will be acting independently for a bit. Eld, I'm putting you in charge." Levi said as he got up from his horse, standing on its back. "Keep Eren hidden an appropriate distance away from that Titan. Someone take care of my horse."

Eren looked up to see Levi soar towards a nearby tree. Levi was followed by Saitama, who just jumped right after him. Eren, not eve faced about this, looked behind him once more. "Could it be?" he said to himself as the smoke cleared, allowing him to get a good look at what had happened. "They're going to capture it alive?"

* * *

"Looks like we've immobilized it," Levi remarked, now standing beside Erwin on a huge tree branch, looking down at the female Titan.

"We can't let down our guard just yet," Erwin said, looking at Levi. Suddenly Saitama stood beside him. Looking at Saitama, Erwin gave him a small smile and a nod of appreciation. "But good work luring it to this location."

"We only managed to buy enough time thanks to the rear guard sacrificing themselves. This wouldn't have been possible without them." Levi retorted.

"Is that so?" Erwin asked.

"Indeed." Levi replied, looking down at the female Titan once more as he saw the fear on her face. "Thank to them, we can meet the person inside this thing. I hope they haven't pissed themselves."

"Levi," Erwin said, getting his attention. "Get Mike. We'll need the two of you to cut whoever is in there, out."

"Consider it done," Levi said as he jumped off the tree branch and flew towards another.

Only two present on the branch. Saitama and Erwin. Hero and Commander. Soldier and common man. Saitama turned to look at Erwin. "So," he said, scratching the back of his head. "You want me to… get him or her out?" he asked, wiggling a finger at the female Titan. "Or do you want me to join the rest of Levi squad?"

"No," Erwin replied, shaking his head. "But first, an eye for an eye. Artillery two and three, fire! Fire all you've got left!" he ordered, raising his sword as the soldiers who were manning the artillery did what they were ordered. Even more cabled spears fired at the Titan, immobilizing its joints, preventing it from escaping.

* * *

"That was it, right?" Eren asked Petra, "But new recruits like me aside, shouldn't they have told a Survey Corp veteran like you?"

"Shut it!" Olou ordered.

"Are you saying that the Commander and the Captain don't trust us?" Petra demanded, anger clearly present in her voice.

"N-no," Eren answered. "But from the looks of it, it really seems like it."

"Petra, yank his teeth out!" Olou yelled as he pointed his blade at Eren, "Swap his front teeth with his molars!"

"No, it's just as Eren said," Eld agreed, "I think the Commander had a reason to keep this from us."

"Then why?" Gunther asked.

"The one reason to not trust your comrades," Eld began, "A transforming human, or a spy, is working through our ranks."

"Huh?" Eren exclaimed.

"The only ones that he could trust, were the ones who were around for longer than five more years." Eld continued.

"I see," Gunther mused.

"So that's what it is," Olou said, "Get that Eren?"

Eren nodded his head.

"But I found something else odd," Eld added.

"Odd?" Petra questioned.

"Yeah," Eld answered, "I think that Saitama knew too."

Everyone looked at Eld like he was insane. How the hell could Saitama know?

"Saitama?!" Olou exclaimed, "How would he even be on this plan? The guy clearly doesn't give two shits about the mission. Why the hell would he know about the plan?!"

"I think it's because Erwin trust's Saitama. And I think we should to," Eld replied, crossing his arms. "He saved those two soldiers from sudden death, and the female Titan, while trying to hit him, didn't even get one hit landed on him. The guy is like nothing we have ever seen. And we have still to see his full potential."

"Well if Erwin trusts Saitama, then how did he get in on the plan? Last time I check, I don't think Saitama was asked the question," Olou recalled.

"Perhaps he did, but we just never knew or heard about it." Petra suggested, shrugging.

"I'm surprised you didn't know, Petra," Olou said, smirking as he turned to look at her. "I mean, you and Saitama have been spending an awful lot of time together. If I didn't know any better, I'd say you have a little crush on the baldy."

Petra snorted, a small hint of red appearing on her cheeks. "So what if I am? Wouldn't be so strange, now would it. I wouldn't be surprised if other woman fell for him. A guy who can punch Titans to death, I'd like to see you pull that off, Olou." She smirked, crossing her arms.

"I have killed more of those bastards than you, or him!" Olou retorted.

"So? That doesn't mean you're stronger than him? I mean, he did punch Captain Levi into the floor when he was put on trial, remember?"

"H-He did?" Olou stuttered, stumbling backwards. "Captain Levi got beaten by a guy like him. How?" he asked himself.

"Because the guy has no limit to his power, I guess," Gunther said, shrugging. "I mean, did you see those sweet moves of his when he was dodging the punches of the female Titan. He was so fast, I couldn't even pinpoint which tree he going to jump to next."

"I wonder if he could have lifted the boulder and seal the breach in Wall Rose, too," Eld commented, stroking his chin. "I guess we'll find out once we get to Wall Maria and seal the two breaches there."

"Stop praising him like he is some kind of deity!" Olou said, anger and frustration clearly present in his voice. "It's getting on my nerves!"

* * *

"If we knew that there was a Titan within our ranks, things could've turned out differently," Jean said.

Armin remained quiet for a moment. "No, he wasn't mistaken,"

"What do you mean?" Jean demanded. "We could have all been dead."

"Jean, saying something could've happened differently only happens after everything's been done," Armin explained, "No one's able to predict the end result. But there's a time when someone will have to make a decision. Erwin was willingly to choose his comrades over the people living in the Wall. If there's one thing I know it's this: If someone wants to bring about change, he has to be willing to abandon everything."

Jean slightly grimaced as he knew who Armin was talking about.

"People who aren't able to abandon anything, are unable to change anything," Armin declared, "In order to become a monster, you must be willing to throw away your humanity."

* * *

"Fire!" Erwin ordered.

The soldiers fired the remains of the speared cables onto the Female Titan as Hanji began chuckling.

"How does is feel?" Hanji smirked, "You can't even scratch it if you get an itch. Moving a muscle is out of the question, probably forever. The more you try to move and heal your injuries, the less you can move." She said, chuckling grimly. "But what the hell is taking Levi and Mike so long? They should have been able to cut it out."

Mike and Levi attacked from behind, trying to cut off the hands of the Female Titan, but she crystallized her hands the moment the blades made contact, causing them to shatter.

"Armor?" Hanji questioned. "Since when did it have armor?"

Levi and Mike stood beside Erwin, having landed on top of the tree branch where Saitama was also standing on.

"It's useless, it can specifically harden its skin to protect specific parts of its body." Levi said. Letting out a sigh, he turned to Saitama. "Saitama, tear her arms off if you have to, but make sure that the person inside stays alive no matter what."

"Sure," Saitama replied, a neutral expression on his face as he simply walked off the tree branch and landed on top of the female Titan's head. "Yo," he said, sliding down her face and grabbing hold of her nose. "I wonder if I can climb into it and reach the brain, or something," he questioned. Looking up at the female Titan, he noticed that she was looking down at him as well. And for some reason, the look on her face reminded him of someone. "Hey, would you mind coming out?" Saitama asked, shaking his head. "I'm not too fond of hurting other people. Sure if you were a monster, things might have been different. But you're still a human. You're just… trapped inside that Titan body of yours. Listen, why don't you just come out and we'll talk this out, okay?" he said, giving her a cheeky smile.

The female Titan seemed unfazed by his request.

"Okay, maybe I could offer you something to eat. Do you like Udon?" Saitama asked.

Again, she seem unfazed.

"You're lucky Genos isn't here, or else he would have incarnated you already," Saitama mumbled to himself.

"Hey, won't you come out already?" a voice asked.

Saitama looked up to see Levi on top of the female Titan's head.

"We don't have all day you know," Levi continued, "Say what do you think will become of you? Do you think you'll be able to escape this predicament?" Levi asked, "I'd wish you considered the trouble you're causing us, but I'm enjoying this very much."

"Oh, right, there's something I want to ask," Levi continued. "Is it all right if I severe your hands and feet? They'll grow back, won't they? I'm talking about your real body. It'll be a problem after all if you died."

The Female Titan opened her mouth, causing Levi to look in confusion. The Female Titan let out a bloody cry, causing the entire Survey Corps to cover their ears, expect for Saitama, who just hanged from her nose. It caused wind to rise up and her cries were heard throughout the forest. The female Titan stopped screaming as there was a deafening silence throughout the forest.

"Was that its death roar?" a soldier asked.

Commander Erwin looked down at the female Titan, and at Saitama who was still hanging from its nose. What the hell just happened?

"Erwin, it smells," Mike informed.

"From what direction?" Erwin asked.

"From everywhere," Mike answered.

"Hurry the explosives!" Erwin ordered.

"Erwin, they'll be coming from the east." Mike informed.

Suddenly, three Titans emerged from the forest and were heading for the female Titan. Levi quickly jumped off the female Titan's head and sliced the nape of two of the Titans. The other one, a smaller 3-meter class Titan, got through and started biting the female Titan's leg.

'So they're after the Female Titan,' Erwin realized.

"The Titans are coming in from everywhere!" a soldier shouted.

Saitama looked around to see multiple Titans heading towards the female Titan. This was bad.

"Defend the female Titan! Even if it costs you your lives!" Erwin ordered.

Saitama, who was still hanging from the nose of the female Titan, let out a sigh as he dropped down from her nose. Falling to the ground, time seemed to slow down for the hero as he punched to Titans straight into a set of nearby trees. He turned his head to see a large 10-meter class Titan moving towards the head of the female Titan. Grabbing hold of the Titan's hand, Saitama raised the Titan in the air and spun it around as if it was some kind of flail. Successfully hitting several Titans, knocking them backwards in the process, Saitama threw the Titan he was holding into several other Titans.

Finally falling to the ground, Saitama looked up to see that there were still around ten Titans attacking the female Titan, biting and ripping of lumps of flesh. Jumping up, Saitama punched two 4-meter class Titans into the air, sending them flying sky high. Turning to face two Titans who had their teeth sunken into the flesh of the female Titan, he grabbed hold of their hair and pulled them off the female Titan. The two Titans, who still had lumps of flesh in their mouths, were then smacked into each other with a force that made their heads literally go 'pop'.

Letting out a sigh once again, Saitama pushed two Titans away from the female Titan, sending them flying through several trees. Now there were only a few left.

"Consecutive normal punches." Saitama said as a barrage of red gloved fist made impact with the Titans. Their bodies started turning blood red, and before anyone noticed, they exploded, leaving behind nothing but blood, flesh, and bone. Everyone was sprayed with blood, and had to shield themselves. It was hot, but they would survive.

"Holy shit." Mike breathed out as he loomed down at Saitama, who now stood in a huge puddle of blood, a dozen or more Titan disintegrating Titan bodies around him.

"I want to marry him!" Hanji exclaimed, a hint of red on her face as a bit of drool came out of her mouth.

Levi just stood beside Erwin, who had the same expression planted on his face. An expression of pure shock.

"That must have been dozens of Titans." Erwin breathed out.

"No, more. Much more," Levi replied, looking down at Saitama. "What the hell is this guy?" he asked, almost stuttering to get the words from leaving his mouth. "There is no way someone can pull something like this off. He killed two Titan before, but now he just killed more than anyone has ever done on his or her own. And look at him," he said, chuckling grimly. "There's no cut to be seen. There's no emotion present on his face whatsoever. He wasn't even scared when he faced off against all of those Titans. This guy… he's-."

"Humanity's savior," Erwin finished. "Just look at him. Not a single emotion. He's just standing there," Erwin said, looking down at the female Titan. His eyes suddenly widened in shock when he saw that the Titan's hands were lowered. But there was one more thing that was wrong. The nape, it was open.

"Damnit!" Erwin said. "The shifter escaped. Everyone, retreat! The mission was a failure. The Titan shifter escaped. I repeat: the Titan shifter escaped!"

"Was it all for nothing, then?" Levi questioned, looking down at Saitama. "Did he risk his life for nothing?"

Everyone mumbled amongst each other, but not Saitama. Instead, he looked off into the distance and saw the outlines of a person, using his or her 3D maneuver gear to swing across the trees. Nodding to himself, the hero quickly ran after the person.

"Where the hell is he going?" Levi asked Erwin, turning to him. "I'm going after him to rendezvous with my squad."

"You do that, but first refill your gas and blades." Erwin replied.

"There's no time, I should have enough. Why?" Levi asked.

"That's an order. Follow it." Erwin replied.

"Roger, Erwin. I trust your judgement." Levi replied, swinging towards another tree.

Erwin turned too looked down at the disintegrating body of the female Titan. Inwardly sighing, he grabbed hold of his flare gun and pointed it upwards… firing a blue smoke signal.

* * *

Saitama watched as the soldier clad in Survey Corps attire fired his or her cables at another tree. Pulling him or herself up, the soldier grabbed hold of a flare pistol and shot a green smoke signal into the air.

"Oh, he must be lost, or something," Saitama said to himself. Jumping up and landing beside the soldier—who had noticed him yet—he spoke up, getting the soldier's attention. "Hey, Erwin said everyone needs to retreat," he said.

The soldier turned to Saitama, who, in return, waved at her. The soldier raised her blades and slashed them down onto Saitama's shoulders. Her eyes widened, however, when the blades simply broke into two. Grunting, she tried it again, only to get the same results.

"Are your blades broken, or something?" Saitama asked, raising an eyebrow. "You should probably head back and-."

The soldier quickly jumped off the tree and fired her cables at another tree, swinging from tree to tree as she looked up to see a green smoke signal.

"Eren," the soldier said to herself. "I'm coming for you."

"Oh, so you're friends with Eren? That's good to hear, since I'm heading for them too! We could go together!"

The soldier turned her head as her eyes widened in shock when she saw the same man from before hover beside her. "What the hell? How are you doing this?" she asked, attaching two new blades to her handles. Slashing them at him, she realized too late that he had already blocked them with his hands. Breaking the blades in half, he looked at her with a less amused expression than before.

"You really need to stop doing that," Saitama said, waving his finger in front of her face. "It's not nice to test your blades on other-." Saitama cut himself of as he blocked the blades once more. Breaking those in half as well, he looked at the soldier with a slight frustration. "Look what you've done," he said, pointing to her empty container. "Now you have no more blades."

"Would you just leave already?! Having you hang from my nose was bad enough already! You're getting on my nerves, baldy!" the soldier shouted at him. "Oh, crap." She sad to herself.

"Oh… okay then," Saitama replied as he suddenly increased his speed, flying forward and moving from tree to tree, pushing himself off said trees to advance further and further into the forest and towards the Levi squad.

The soldier looked at Saitama in slight confusion. Hmpf, no matter. He might have been able to stop her blades. But when she would transform, there was no stopping her. Not even he could stop her. She was going to enjoy killing him.


	10. Chapter 10

**All right, I think it's about time I explained some things, since a lot of people are either confused or aggravated about some aspects of the story. Okay, here goes.**

 **Some people are telling me I did not get Saitama's character, other say I did. Listen up, all of you. In chapter 9 there was a scene were the female Titan was about to kill those two soldiers—if you've seen the anime, it's the long, blue-haired soldier and another soldier with a bowl haircut—but Saitama rescued them. He did not go in against his principles. He's still a hero and he still saved those soldiers, even though everyone said they should run. Also, remember when Saitama said that he needed to take a pee in the latest chapter? Well, he did take that pee… but he also went to Erwin, as you might have recalled a certain dialogue scene between Saitama and Levi, where Saitama is about to spoil the plan, but Levi cut's him off. That was supposed to be this way.**

 **Then there is also the part about Saitama letting the female Titan live. Remember, Saitama has never, ever killed a human being in his life. The only thing he has been killing so far are 'monsters'. Saitama knows that there is a human inside the female Titan, why did you think he asked her to 'get out'' and 'talk with him'? Since he doesn't want to hurt the human inside of it. Also, remember that Titan emit steam when they die? Yes? Now think about it for a sec. Saitama punches Titans, Titans die and blood erupts, the blood evaporates and hot steam coms off it. A perfect escape for the human inside the female Titan, right? Yeah, that's what I had in mind when writing the chapter.**

 **I am defiantly not forcing to have Saitama act a certain way in the story, and if it might seem so then I am sorry, but it is not intentional. Saitama is a smart guy, even if he doesn't show it. The scene with Mikasa in chapter eight was to turn out the way it did. Saitama knew there was no talking sense into her. And while it's true Saitama doesn't care from time to time, having him tell Mikasa "Hey, I need to go to the supermarket, see ya!" Would be even weirder. Some things matter to Saitama. Because it isn't a villain who is telling their story to them, no, they are human beings. People he protects, people he helps, people he listens to. The web comic explains this very well, so I'd advice anyone who hasn't read it to read it. Commander Erwin or Levi never told Saitama to let the soldiers die, so I do not know where that thing came from.**

 **Also, people are complaining that I follow too much of the Attack on Titan cannon. Well… think about it, you guys. Having Saitama kill off every single Titan in existence would make for a pretty funny one-shot, but… this is a story, and it's going to be a big one at that. Having Saitama save the day in just one day would be boring. I have already made some changes, and this chapter will also be a lot different than the original episode, but you'll have to read it to find out. I am trying to let the story flow smoothly, and I'm trying my very best to do it. Saitama isn't exactly the easiest character to write. I know he might seem like it, but he's not. But come on, you guys… having a bit of the AoT dialogue and scenes isn't all that bad, now is it. Saitama is still involved and dialogue still changes. There a so many crossovers stories who put in more dialogue from AoT in their chapters than I do. Please try to understand that I'm trying my very best to let the story flow smoothly, and making sure it isn't rushed.**

 **I am sorry about this long author's note, but it had to be done. Now onto the next chapter!**

* * *

Saitama looked down at the grass-covered fields of the forest. Scratching the back of his head, the hero put his hands in his pockets as landed on a nearby tree branch. Leaning against the tree and stiffening a yawn, the hero looked around him.

"Where are they?" Saitama asked himself. He had not expected himself to get lost, since he saw a green flare that had probably been fired by one of the members of the Special Operations Squad. Crossing his arms as he pushed himself off the tree, the hero jumped off the humongous branch and landed on another branch. Looking down once more, he noticed the same soldier he had met just minutes ago soar through the forest, using her 3D maneuver gear in a ways he had only see a couple of other people do. Raising an eyebrow, the hero decided to follow the female soldier.

Jumping off the branch and landing on the ground, creating a large crater as the ground underneath him cracked wide open, sending pieces of dirt, grass, and wood flying in all directions. The noise, however, got the female soldier to cock her head backwards. Saitama, being the nice guy, waved at her while running after her, leaving behind a trail of dust and as he quickly caught up with the soldier. "Hey, do you know where to find the Special Operations Squad?" he asked her.

The female soldier turned her head, ignoring the Caped Baldy completely as she increased her usage of gas.

"Did she not hear me?" Saitama asked himself. Shrugging, he jumped up once more, this time almost colliding with the soldier he was following.

"What the hell?!" the soldier exclaimed in shock as she quickly shortened her gas usage. "What do you think you're doing?" she asked him.

"I thought you didn't hear my question," Saitama replied sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head. "So you want to find the Special Operations Squad together?" he asked.

The soldier gritted her teeth. This man was getting on her nerves. Perhaps she should transform and teach him a lesson. Smirking to herself as she looked down at the ring around her index finger, she looked at the Caped Baldy. She stopped what she was doing, however, when she saw a familiar face appear a few feet behind of Saitama. "Eren," she whispered. Looking at Saitama, she maneuvered herself around him and shot her cables towards two other trees. "I'm coming for you, Eren."

"Wait up!" Saitama said as he quickly ran after her. Muttering to himself about how stupid this was, the hero decided to jump up one more time. It was only after a few seconds that Saitama realized he had jumped a tad bit too early… thus accidentally jumping into the soldier. Feeling his head make contact with something soft and round, Saitama quickly grabbed hold of the soldier's legs as she simply stared down at him in complete shock. "That… was not on purpose, I swear!" Saitama quickly apologized. "I respect your cleavage, madam."

"That's it!" the soldier exclaimed in anger and frustration as she tried to kick Saitama off her legs. "H-Hey, let go, you idiot!" she demanded.

"I can't, I'm stuck and I really don't want to rip my suit," Saitama replied, looking up at her with a sheepish look planted on his face. "Can't you just land? I swear I'll leave you to yourself."

The soldier was about to reply, until she suddenly felt her speed decrease dramatically. Turning her head backwards, she noticed she was running out of gas. _'Damnit,'_ she thought to herself, taking quick glances between her and Saitama. _'Should I just transform and get this over with?'_

Pondering on what would be the right decision, the soldier did not notice the humongous tree she and the man who was hanging from her legs were closing in on.

"Look out, big tree!" Saitama exclaimed as he simply tugged at her right leg, swiftly dethatching her 3D maneuver gear's cables and spinning her around. Sighing to himself as he saw he ripped part of his right sleeve, the hero held the soldier to his chest as he simple jumped from one tree to another. "Listen," he said, looking down at the soldier whose hood had been blown off by the amount of power Saitama had used to spin her around. "As much as you probably want to find the Special Operations Squad all by yourself, I think it's for the best if we stick together."

Cheeks red, the female soldier muttered something underneath her breath before speaking up. "Fine then," she said, looking up at him while glaring intensely. "But once we find them, you release me. Got it?"

"Sure thing," Saitama replied, giving her a two fingered salute. "My name is Saitama, by the way. What's yours?"

"…"

Saitama raised an eyebrow at the girl before letting out a sigh. Looking down at the ground beneath them, Saitama's eyes widened as he saw something he thought he would never see again. Jumping towards the ground mid-air, the hero landed safely on the ground. Putting the girl down, he but his hands on his hips as he looked at the beautiful scene in front of him.

"Hey, what the hell do you think you're doing?" the girl asked, glaring at him as she stood beside him. She was about to continue, but Saitama but a finger to her lips, shushing her.

"Be quiet," he whispered. Pointing his finger at something, Saitama got the soldier's interest as she now turned her head and saw what the hero was pointing at. It was a baby deer and its mother, happily munching on some grass while the baby just stuck to his mother's side. Smiling, Saitama looked at the girl. "Isn't that one of the cutest things you've ever seen?" he asked, turning his attention back to the deer's.

Letting out a sigh, the girl turned her head and looked at the deer's. 'It is a sight to behold, that's for sure,' she thought to herself. Looking at the Caped Baldy, the girl wondered: Was this guy really as bad as she was told he was? He seemed like a pretty decent guy, even though he was acting far more stupid and oblivious than anyone she had ever met. Heck, they were standing in the middle of a forest of giant trees with Titans around every corner, and even then this guy takes the time to stop, relax, and enjoy the wonders of nature. Who would be so stupid as to put his or her life in danger for such a small thing?

"Sometimes you just have to enjoy the little things," Saitama said to himself, getting the girl to be shaken out of her thought.

"Yeah," she replied. Closing her eyes and humming a soft tone, the girl continued. "Annie."

"Huh?" Saitama said in confusion, looking down at her.

"My name is: Annie," Annie said, looking up at him. "Annie Leonhart."

Nodding his head while keeping a neutral expression, Saitama turned his attention back to the deer's. "Okay," he said, pointing a thumb at his back. "Hop on, Annie."

Annie raised an eyebrow at him, but hesitantly walked climbed onto his back. Putting her arms around his neck, she spoke up. "Remember what I said. Once we find the Special Operations Squad, you'll have to let me go."

"Sure," Saitama replied as he began to run forward.

* * *

The members of the Levi squad all exchanged quick glances of confusion with one another as the soared through the sky, the 3D maneuver gear's being put to the test as their cables were shot out and retracted with every few seconds. A deadly silence befell the squad. But that silence was quickly put to an end by Eren, who decided to ask the question that went through everyone's mind.

"Where the hell is Captain Levi?" Eren asked, getting the squad's attention. "I mean it's not like he didn't see the flare we shot up, since we saw another green flare only seconds when we shot ours. So why hasn't the Captain met up with us already?"

"I don't know, Eren," Gunther replied, shaking his head. "All we can hope is that the Captain will find us."

"Then perhaps we should stop and wait for him," Petra suggested.

"No, we promised the Captain we would keep Eren at a safe distance away from the female Titan," Eld retorted. "We must follow his order."

"I agree with Eld," Olou added, nodding his head. "I mean, it's not like the Captain wouldn't come looking for us."

"But still," Petra said. "The flare was shot up minutes ago, and the Captain always had a good sense of direction, so there is no way he could have gotten lost. Perhaps he encountered Titans and is engaging them?" she suggested.

"Even if that's true," Eld said, shooting his 3D maneuver gear's cables at a nearby tree. "The Captain can take care of himself."

"Yeah! The Captain is called 'humanity's strongest for nothing!" Olou added, glaring at Petra. "Of all people, I never would have guessed you would begin to doubt the Captain's skills."

"I'm not doubting anything!" Petra retorted, almost wanting to kick Olou in the gut. "It's just that... I have this feeling something big is about to happen. I can't really explain it, but it has happened before."

"When?" Gunther asked.

"When I first saw Saitama enter the court room a day after his arrival," Petra replied. "I just felt… odd, to be honest. When I saw him enter the court room, the only thing I did was look at him and I felt this sudden rush of adrenaline course through my body. And something big did happen."

"Yeah," Eren replied, remembering what had happened to the Captain. "Captain Levi got pound into the floor, literally."

"Can you guys stop mentioning that?!" Olou asked, anger clearly present in his voice. "I don't care is that bald, shit-faced asshole beat Captain Levi! The Captain has done way cooler things than he has!"

"Well, I've never heard of Captain Levi punching Titans to death." Petra taunted, blowing him a raspberry.

Eren watched as the bickering between the two comrades continued. Having been so caught up in the argument, he did not notice someone soaring towards him until said 'someone' was literally mere inches away from his face.

"Yo," Saitama said, making Eren yell in shock. As an instinct—an instinct he had gotten while undergoing training as a cadet—Eren quickly slashed his blades at Saitama.

"Saitama, sir?!" Eren yelled as he stopped his attack, his blades inches away from Saitama's shoulders. "What the hell? How did you-."

"I ran, then stopped, then ran some more," Saitama cut him off. "Oh, I also found someone who was also looking for you guys." He said, motioning to Annie.

"Sorry for this, Saitama. But this is where it ends… for all of them, including you," Annie said as she quickly grabbed hold of her cape. Covering her face and letting go of Saitama, Annie fell towards the ground as Saitama looked down at her.

"Whoops," he said as he went after her, only to stop when he was almost blinded by a bright light. It was as if lighting suddenly crashed down from the sky. Saitama opened his eyes, only to be greeted by someone—no, something familiar. It was the thing everyone had been trying to capture. It was the thing he had been trying to talk to only minutes ago. And it was also the person he considered someone he could kind of trust, since he thought she was in need of help. It was the female Titan… or rather, Annie in her Titan form. Shaking his head in a disappointed way Saitama watched as the female Titan lashed out at him. Raising his hand, the hero simply blocked the attack, and—with the flick of his wrist—sent her flying into a nearby set of trees. Turning his head to the Levi Squad, who were all still in shock of the fact that the female Titan suddenly emerged from out of nowhere, he spoke up. "Turn around and move back to the original spot where the female Titan was captured. Erwin has told everyone to retreat."

Everyone exchanged worried glances, until Olou spoke up. "I'll take back what said, but I won't leave you to die here!" he exclaimed, glaring at the female Titan. "I'll rip her eyes out!"

"We'll take her on together!" Gunther added, also glaring at the female Titan as he and the rest of his squad now hung from a nearby tree, not using their 3D maneuver gear to turn back as Saitama had told them to.

"I now believe everything! You truly are strong, how else were you able to stop the female Titan from killing you just now?" Eld added.

"Have faith in us!" Petra begged, staring at him with wide eyes. _'Just like I have in you.'_ she thought to herself.

"If things get ugly, I'll transform and-."

"No!" Petra quickly interrupted Eren. "You move forward, alone. We cannot let you near danger!"

"I think you should all listen to what the man is saying: Fall back immediately."

Everyone turned their head towards the sound of an all too familiar voice. Their eyes widened when they saw Levi soar towards them, a neutral expression planted on his face as he now hung in front of his squad, having shot his cables at the tree they were hanging from for support. "Retreat that is an order." He said, glaring at them. "That includes all of you, not just Eren."

"But Captain, we cannot just leave him to fight against the female Titan all by himself!" Petra retorted, exchanging worried glances between him and Saitama. "Please, sir, I beg of you to have faith and-."

"Eld, Gunther, Olou, Petra… Eren," Levi said. "I'll be staying here to support Saitama. You will retreat right this instant. Not because I want to, but because I am ordering you. I am your superior, and you will follow my orders. If not, then I'll have to look for a new team."

Everyone stared at their Captain with their mouths hanging wide open. Never had the Captain ordered them around like that. They never thought he would threaten to have them removed for the Special Operations squad. Hanging their heads in defeat, every single one of them all fired their cables and moved away from the battle that was about to unfold. Shaking his head, Levi turned to look at Saitama.

"I don't know how your teamwork is. But I'll have you know I prefer to work alone," he said, drawing his blades. "But I guess we'll just have to give it a try, huh?"

"You sure you don't wat to go with your squad?" Saitama asked as he watched the female titan slowly push herself off the ground, hot steam coming out of her back, probably because her body was regenerating from the impact.

"Yes. Yes I am." Levi replied as he shot his cables at the female Titan. Using his gas to increase his speed to a level Saitama had never seen anyone do before, Levi's blades spun around him in a circular motion as even the Captain himself was now spinning like he was some kind of wheel that had been pushed of a cliff. His blades cut through the female Titan like it was made of butter, giving her literally no time to regenerate as the young Captain had already spun his way over to her eyes. Shooting his cables at the side of the Titan's face, Levi stabbed the female Titan right in her eyes, making her fall backwards as he retracted his cables and was sent flying into the air. "Go for the legs!" he shouted to Saitama, who only nodded as he casually walked towards the female Titan.

Grabbing hold of one of her legs, Saitama raised the female Titan into the air as he spun her around like she was some kind of flail. Letting go of her and sending her flying into yet another set of trees, Saitama looked at Levi and gave him a thumbs up.

"When I said: Go for the legs," Levi said, landing in front of him. "I meant: Punch her legs straight off."

"But… won't that hurt the person inside?" Saitama asked, looking at the female Titan, who was slowly getting up.

"What if it does?" Levi asked, shaking his head. "You're not afraid to hurt someone, are you?"

"No, but I prefer fighting monsters, not humans." Saitama replied.

"That thing is not human anymore," Levi said with a surprising amount of anger in his voice. "The person inside that thing knows damn well what she has done. She has killed many of our soldiers. She deserves to get hurt."

"So… no second chances?" Saitama asked, scratching his cheek.

"I swear to everything that is holy that I will one day personally rip your head off if you don't stop acting so stupid," Levi said as he turned to look at the female Titan. "You once said you were a hero, not a soldier, remember? Well then Mr. Hero, do what a hero does. Save the day."

Letting out a sigh, Saitama walked towards the female Titan. Jumping upwards, the Caped Baldy once again grabbed hold of her hair as he now hung in front of her face once more. "You mind getting out, Annie?" he asked.

"Raargh!"

Saitama turned his head, only to see Levi fly towards him, his eyes filled with anger. Slashing at the female Titan, Levi landed on top of her head as he looked down at Saitama. "Rip her out." He ordered, glaring at him. "Rip whoever is in here out. You don't have to hurt her, just make sure she is out of her Titan body.

Looking at Annie's Titan form, Saitama shook his head as he pulled himself up and landed beside Levi. Moving to the back of the Titan's head, Saitama grabbed hold of the nape of her neck simply pulled, successfully ripping away humongous chunks of flesh, tissue and muscle. The female Titan screamed in terror and pain, but to no avail. It would take a few more minutes for her limbs to fully regenerate, even though they were not cut off. She screamed for a few more moments, but the screaming came to an abrupt end when Saitama successfully pulled Annie out of the nape of her Titan form.

"Let me go!" Annie demanded, the flesh around her eyes red because of the tissue that was attached to it. "I'll kill you! I'll kill you!"

Levi walked towards the squirming Saitama. Raising his hand, he slapped her across her face, making her look at him with a shocked, yet angered expression. Balling his hand to a fist, Levi punched her in the gut, making her gasp for air as she felt her stomach tense up in pain.

"Y-You… bastard," Annie wheezed, glaring at him.

"Shut up, brat. You'll pay for what you did." Levi retorted. Looking at Saitama, he continued. "We'll rendezvous with my squad, then we'll retreat to the Walls. This expedition was a success. Erwin will be pleased with this result."

Looking at Annie, and then at Levi, Saitama spoke up.

"My suit got dirty."


	11. Chapter 11

Levi let out a short sigh of relief as he soared through the Forest of Giant trees. He looked to his right only to see Saitama float beside him. Any normal man would have been greatly confused and shocked. But not him. For he had seen what Saitama was capable of. The way he defeated those Titans… it was inhuman. Levi wasn't the type of guy to put his faith into others, with the exception of Commander Erwin. But Saitama had changed his opinion. He fully trusted the Caped Baldy's capabilities. He knew that he was the key to humanities' survival.

"Saitama," Levi said, getting Saitama's attention. "How's the brat?" he asked.

Saitama shrugged as he turned his head to look at Annie, who he had been holding for a couple of minutes now in his iron grip. "I think she's okay," Saitama replied. "Are you okay?" he asked Annie.

"Let me go you bald headed freak!" Annie sneered at him, making Saitama shush her.

"You are in big trouble, young lady," he said, glaring at her. "Back where I come from they would have sent S-class heroes after you. Heck, even Genos would have come after you himself."

"Genos?" Levi asked, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. "And who might _that_ be?"

"Oh," Saitama said, looking at Levi. "Genos is my disciple. Well he just told me he wanted to become my disciple after I helped him defeat this mosquito monster that was attacking the city. He's been my disciple for quite some time now." He trailed off. "I wonder what he's up to."

"If he's your disciple then he must be a strong as you are." Levi stated.

"Well… Genos is very strong. He can defeat those Titans with ease to be honest. He's fast, strong, and has a strong… core, I guess." Saitama replied.

"Core? Don't you mean strong heart?" Levi asked.

"Not really. Genos is a cyborg. He's more machine than man, but he's really nice once you get to know him better. He talks a lot but… I can see why he wants to become stronger." Saitama replied.

"And why is that?" Levin asked, curiosity clearly present in his voice as he shot his 3D maneuver gear cables at another tree. "And what the hell is a cyborg?"

"I feel like you should ask him that yourself, should you ever get the chance to meet him." Saitama replied. "How long until we meet up with the others. My suit is still dirty and I really want to clean it." he said. It was then that Saitama noticed a piece of cloth around Levi's neck. "Hey, can I use that napkin around your neck to clean my suit?" he asked.

"My what?" Levi asked, looking to at his cravat. "Are you talking about my cravat?" he asked.

"Yes," Saitama replied, reaching out for it. "These stains will only get worse. It's better to clean them now."

Levi slapped away Saitama's hand, glaring at him. "You are not using my cravat as your personal napkin." He said, his glaring intensifying. "As much as it pains me to say this; the stains will have to wait once we get back to the Walls, got it?"

"But they will only get worse!" Saitama whined.

"I know that." Levi replied, shaking his head. "But you'll have to wait. We have to take this brat back for interrogation." He said, his gaze shifting towards the Titan shifter that Saitama had thrown over his shoulder. "How is she holding up?"

"Well," Saitama replied, looking at Annie. "She's been biting my shoulder for ten minutes. I think she must be hungry, or something. Or does it work differently with Titan shifters? I mean they're still Titans and all, but I've not seen Eren eat anyone. And Annie hasn't eaten anyone either."

"But she killed." Levi grimly reminded him, glaring at Annie with rage-filled eyes. "I'll cut off her arms and let them regrow, just so I can cut them off again. I'm not going to lie: I'm going to torture her day in day out if it's the last thing I'll ever do."

Saitama looked back at Annie, who had begun chomping down on his shoulder again.

"Could you stop that? You're going to damage my suit." Saitama said in a slightly irritated voice.

"Go to hell you bastard! Just wait until I get free, then I won't be holding back!" Annie retorted, glaring at him intensely.

"Oh, so you were holding back?" Levi asked, a small smirk appearing on his face. "If it weren't for the fact we're retreating, I would have ordered Saitama to drop you. Right here, right now. Then you could go all out against him. And don't think I won't be joining in on all the fun. I would cut you open just like I did before. And Saitama would just beat the shit out of you."

"You have a lot of faith in this bald bastard, Captain Levi," Annie hissed at him.

"I'm done talking, brat." Was Levi's sharp reply as he turned his gaze forward. "We'll be reaching the rendezvous point within a few minutes from now. After that we'll put this brat into cuffs and we'll be on our way home.

'Home.' Saitama thought to himself.

Even though he did not show it, Saitama truly missed his home. He missed his udon, his TV, his futon, and he even missed Genos. When he and Genos first met he did not think his acceptance of him becoming his disciple through. He was reluctant at first, but eventually he did start to "train" him in a way. As much as he hated to admit it, Genos was trying bit too hard to become stronger. Now Saitama is no stranger to having as much power as possible… but he did not want Genos to follow all of the steps he had taken. Genos was still young and naïve, but he also had a big heart. Or core. Or whatever it is that keeps blood—or oil—coursing through his body.

Genos was his disciple. Genos was his friend. And the more time they spent together, the more Saitama began to realize that he reminded him of himself when he was young. Wanting to do the right thing, to bring justice to the ones that deserve it the most. But Genos was mostly in it for something Saitama is not fond off. Not the slightest.

Revenge.

Revenge on the cyborg that killed his family and destroyed his hometown. It was something Saitama was not fond off. And while it true that whoever did this to Genos deserves to be punished, it does not mean that Genos should waste his life trying to become stronger just so that he can defeat this adversary. Genos might have been dying—in fact that was the reason he became a cyborg in the first place—but he was still just a kid… kind of. He might be nineteen years old, but he was fifteen at the time when the cyborg attacked and destroyed his hometown. It must have been very hard for him.

So, in a way, him and Saitama became something more than just master and disciple.

"Hey, baldy, did you hear what I said?"

Saitama was shaken out of his thoughts by Levi, who was staring at him with a curious look.

"No," Saitama replied. "I kind of spaced out for a moment."

Levi's staring continued, though his gaze softened. "You did good out here, Saitama." He said, a very small, but genuine smile appearing on his face. "For someone being on their first expedition, you handled pretty well. As for my squad… I don't know what might have happened to them had we not interfered. They are capable of handling themselves, of that I am certain, but this brat," he said, glaring at Annie once again. "Killed a lot of soldiers who I thought to be experienced. There is no doubt that the outcome could have been different had we not intervened."

"I guess so," Saitama trailed off.

Levi looked at him with a confused look. "Is something bothering you?" he asked.

"Nope, not at all." Saitama replied.

Levi shook his head. "You told me you were a hero, right?" he asked.

"I am a hero, yes." Saitama replied.

"And why do you see yourself as one? Because you saved a couple of lives? I did too, and they don't call me a hero. Even Eren saved countless of lives by sealing the breach, but do they call him a hero? No. So why do you call yourself a hero, Saitama?" Levi asked, raising an eyebrow at the Caped Baldy.

"I don't call myself a hero. I am a hero. I am part of the Hero Association. I am a hero." Saitama retorted, getting slightly annoyed.

"Being a hero isn't some kind of job," Levi retorted. "You will be seen as a hero because of your actions. Now I won't be surprised if even Erwin calls you a hero. He'll most likely call you an 'acceptable soldier', but you did good in my opinion. Just don't let it get to your head, okay?"

"But I'm not letting it get to my head! I am a hero! I'm in the Hero Association's system!" Saitama retorted, completely forgetting the fact that he was no longer in City Z.

Their arguing continued for a little while more. Much to Annie's amusement. At least one thing was for sure. Saitama was a complete idiot.

* * *

The members of the Special Operations Squad could only stare at one another as they tendered their horses at the rendezvous point. There were no words that could describe what they were feeling at the moment. What they had just witnessed could never be forgotten. It could never be erased. What Saitama did out there was in-human. The way he blocked the incoming attack from the Female Titan. How he simply stared at it with that monotone stare of his. He did not even flinch when the Female Titan threw that punch at him. He simply blocked it.

"I can't believe it," Olou muttered, shaking his head as he laughed nervously. "It must have been my imagination. Secretly Captain Levi just did something to stop that Female Titan from attacking, right?"

"I don't know what to believe anymore," Gunther replied, shaking his head as well. "I mean I heard the stories. And even though the Captain told us the stories were true, I was still skeptical. But now that I've seen it with my own eyes there's no doubt about it."

Eld sighed, running his hand through his hair. "The guy… he just stopped the attacked with his bare hand. How was he able to do such a thing? What the hell is he? He can't be human. It doesn't make any sense."

Suddenly the squad overheard a conversation between two recruits.

"Hey, where you there when Saitama defeated all of those Titans?" one of them asked.

"Yeah," the other replied. "I heard he tossed them around like some kind of flail. Like, how the hell is he able to do that? He freaking annihilated those Titans and they did not even put a scratch on him, man. He didn't even flinch when he jumped down right in the middle of a group of eight Titans. And did you see the way he was looking at them? Absolutely no emotion whatsoever. Like the guy gave zero shits about them. It was almost like he knew he wasn't going to lose."

Olou lowered his head in shame. "I guess I owe him an apology," he said, muttering to himself afterward.

"We owe him a lot more than just an apology," Gunther corrected.

"Defeated eight Titans, plus the Female Titan." Eld commented.

"Now just hold on!" Petra intertwined. "Captain Levi was with him as well. He might have helped, or even defeated the Female Titan. Or perhaps he helped Saitama defeat it. They must have defeated it together!"

"Does it even matter?" Gunther asked, raising an eyebrow at her. "All that matters is that the Captain and Saitama defeated the Female Titan."

"We don't know that for sure." Came the voice of Eren.

"The hell are you talking about, Eren?" Gunther asked in confusion. "I mean haven't you just heard what those two recruits were talking about? Saitama defeated eight Titans with his bare hands! We might not have been there to see the fight, but I sure as hell know that the Female Titan has been defeated! There is no way Captain Levi would lose to that thing!"

Petra let out a sigh as she stared off at the Forest of Giant Trees. She could not believe what had just happened. Ever since she met Saitama something had changed. She couldn't quite put her finger around it, but something had changed. Perhaps it was the way he acted. He was always so relaxed, not really caring about anything. But nevertheless she enjoyed the talks they shared together. He was a different kind of guy. She knew that from the get go. But she never expected this.

In a way Saitama frightened her. He was human, yes. But he seemed to lack emotions. He wasn't nervous when exiting the safety of the Walls and venturing into the dangerous outside world. He wasn't scared when he saw the first Titan appear. And he did not even flinch during the time with the Female Titan. It just didn't seem human to her. But still… why did she enjoy the time they spend together? Even her squad mates had begun to worry about her, telling her to lay back a little while and watch from distance. But even so, Captain Levi seems very fond of the guy. He even viewed him as more 'experienced' to handle the Female Titan. But why? They had been a squad for so long, and the amount of time they spend together only strengthened their bond. So why would he make the harsh decision of ordering them to leave. To retreat. To straight up abandon their leader.

She didn't understand.

It was then that she caught a glimpse of something. It looked like a giant cloud of dust and she could see the outline of a person in the middle of it. Her eyes widened when the cloud became bigger and bigger. Thinking it was a Titan, she drew her blades. She sheathed them, however, when she caught a full glimpse of who was inside the cloud of dust.

It was Saitama. And he was carrying Levi and another soldier on his back.

What.

Within seconds Saitama appeared in front of her, startling not only her but the entire squad. He placed down Levi, who struggled to stand straight, grabbing hold of a nearby support wagon or support.

"Hi," Saitama greeted her. "Do me a favor and tie her up. But be careful, she bites." He said as he threw Annie off his shoulder and into Petra's arms, Annie tried to get up, but was instantly pushed to the ground by Levi, who grabbed hold of her and placed her in a neck hold.

"Get over here. Meet the Female Titan." Levi said.

Everyone looked at the girl in shock, But the one who was the most shocked was none other than Eren Yeager himself. That was Annie. Annie Leonhart. One of the many people he met in boot camp. She was in the top ten. And she was a shifter? No, that couldn't be true. Annie Leonhart was not the Female Titan. It had to be some kind of sick joke.

"Annie… what are you? This has to be." Eren stuttered, his hands shaking as he looked down at Annie.

"Gunther, Olou, get Eren to his horse. Eld, inform Erwin that we're ready to move out." Levi ordered his men, who all saluted and did as they were ordered. Levi then proceeded to pick up Annie and throw her into a nearby wagon, which was filled with the corpses of deceased soldiers that were all wrapped in white blankets. He glared at her as she sat up and ordered Petra and two other soldiers to stay with her in the wagon and keep an watchful eye on her at all costs.

"Do you realize half of these soldiers are dead because of you?" Petra asked as the wagon suddenly began to move. "How could you do this? You're human, so why the hell would you kill your own?! Are you sick in the head, or re you fighting for the Titans? What the hell is wrong with you?" Petra shouted, her voice filled with pure anger and hatred towards this young girl… if she could even be called a girl. This girl was a monster. She killed without remorse, and she did not even look at the blankets. She just stared off at the distance, as if she was waiting for something.

"I hope they execute her," one of the soldiers in the wagon said, glaring at Annie. "If it were up to me I would have killed her already. I can't believe you would betray your own kind."

"Yeah," the other one added. "They should kill you, right here, right now."

Petra let out a sigh ash she looked down at her hands. She just wanted to go home, inside the safety of the Walls. She thought this expedition would be a turning point for humanity. And in a way it was… but still. Her head shot up when she suddenly felt someone tugging at her arm. She turned her head only to see Saitama running beside the wagon she was sitting in. Not even slightly amazed at his speed, Petra forced a smile and spoke up.

"How are you feeling, Saitama?"" she asked, trying to lighten up the mood.

"Okay, I guess. I mean we captured her," he said, pointing his index finger at Annie. "But how are you feeling. You don't look so good. You're getting a little green."

Petra was about to reply, but the only thing that came out of her mouth was the lunch she had a couple of hours ago. The inside of her stomach now stained Saitama's suit, making the hero flinch as he wiped the disgusting substance of his already dirty suit.

"Great," Saitama said, sarcasm dripping from his voice. "I'm going to need a lot of napkins to clean this out. And I'm guessing you guys don't have a dryer laying around in the HQ, right? That's just great. My suit is ruined."

Petra bushed furiously as she hid her face in her palms. What the hell? That had only happened on her first two expeditions! She never vomited after her first two, so why the hell did she have to do it now? And the fact that she vomited on humanity's savior made things even worse! He probably hated her guts right now. And for good reasons. If it was the other way around she would have slapped him across the face multiple times. She just hoped Saitama didn't share the same thoughts as she did.

"Did you eat something you're not supposed to eat?" Saitama asked, snapping Petra out of her thoughts.

She reluctantly gathered the courage to turn her head and face him. His face showed no signs of anger, but she was still a bit skeptical. But still… something about his look made her feel a bit more safe. At least he wasn't angry with her… or was this just the beginning? Was he trying to act all nice to her and then make a sassy remark when she least expects it? Levi sometimes did that, and she hated it.

"You're not going to throw up again, are you?" Saitama asked, taking a few steps away from the wagon. "I'm surprised your vomit was able to hit me, seeing as we're moving at a pretty fast pace. But I guess wind resistance is just a myth then."

"You're… not angry? I mean I'm happy you're so calm about this but still…" Petra trailed off.

"Oh, I'm a bit aggravated, but not angry. It smells pretty bad, but I'll just have to hold my breath." Saitama replied.

Petra let out a sigh before wiping her mouth with her sleeve. "You really are careless from time to time, aren't you, Saitama?"

"Oh, why is that?" Saitama asked.

"Never mind, Saitama. I just want to get home and take a long, relaxing bath." She said, leaning back into the wagon. "I promise I'll make it up to you. For vomiting on your suit, that is."

Before the hero could reply, Gunther interrupted them.

"Hey you two! I get you're trying to bond with one another but we've got bigger problems!" he shouted as he pointed his thumb over his shoulder. "We've got four Titans on our asses and they are not giving up!"

Both Saitama and Petra looked behind them. Petra's eyes widened while Saitama just deadpanned as he came to a halt. He casually held up his hand to his chest and waved at Petra. He turned around and started sprinting towards the Titans.

Petra let out a long sigh before she turned her attention back to Annie. For some reason she did not feel the need to watch as Saitama kicked Titan ass. She just wanted to get over with it and go home. She was going to visit her father. Yeah, she was going to enjoy her day off.

"Yeah, look at him go! Go get them, Saitama!" Petra heard the voice of Eld and Yeager yell simultaneously. She shook her head and took one quick glance behind her, only to see Saitama grabbing a Titan by its legs and using it as some kind of club to smash the other Titans. She could not help but chuckle to herself. It all seemed too easy. The latest expedition resulted in a lot of casualties, and they gained almost nothing from it. But now it all seemed too easy. Heck, she wouldn't be surprised if some genius came up with the plan to send Saitama out to the Shingashina district on his own. He could probably take on anything that stood in his way. But she wondered. Was he even trying?

The look on his face told her he was not.

Within mere seconds the Titans were all defeated, and Saitama reached the wagon about ten seconds later.

"The vomit dried up," he commented, looking at Petra.

Petra resisted the urge to smack herself on her head.

"Nice work out there, sir!" one of the soldiers in the wagon said. "The way you handled those Titans was simply breathtaking!"

"Uhh… thanks, I guess." Saitama replied.

"I wouldn't be surprised if you got promoted to the rank of Captain! Heck, even some veteran soldiers like Captain Levi and Squad leader Mike could learn a few thing from you!" the soldier said, completely obvious to the fact there was a member of the Levi Squad sitting in the same wagon as them.

Petra let out a long sigh before leaning back against the wagon.

She knew today was going to be a different day. But she did not expect it to be this different from the others.

* * *

It had been a grueling two to four hours before the column had finally reached the Walls. The people of the Karanese district were surprised to see the Survey Corps had already returned this early. There were whispers that their mission was a complete failure… if only they knew what they had just accomplished. First things first, however. They needed to get Annie Leonhart into custody. The Military Police would have probably been the best choice, but Erwin decided to take her directly to the Military's Police's prisons personally. Accompanied by Captain Levi an squad leader Hanji, they made their way towards the Military Police's prison block, awaiting their judgement.

The mission was a success, and it was all because of Saitama. Had he not intervened the outcome would have been a lot different. But even so, now was the time to celebrate.

Nighttime had arrived shortly and everyone was enjoying themselves, sitting at some local bars and restaurants. Some drinking away their sorrow, others enjoying the taste of something different than only water. Even the Levi Squad was enjoying themselves. Even Levi seemed to enjoy himself a little bit. Occasionally getting into talks with several recruits and veterans alike.

Petra, however, was not feeling so good. She had visited her father and he asked her about the letter she had sent him. He said that he thought her to be too young to be thinking of marriage. But she quickly dismissed her father's claims, stating that she's old enough to make her own decisions. And that's when her father asked the question she hated to answer.

How many?

How many lives were lost on this damned expedition… too many, she would always reply. But in truth this expedition probably had the least casualties. And it was because of one man. And that man had changed her view on life bit by bit. It just goes to show that when you pray hard enough, your prayers will be answered. Every time she returned from another expedition she would thank her 'guardian angel' for keeping her safe. For protecting her. But it seemed that everyone had received a new guardian angel.

And as much as some hated to admit it, Saitama was humanity's last line of defense. Eren might be the key to figuring out the Titan's secrets, but Saitama is like the bullet of a gun. When the trigger is pulled the bullet comes out, and destroys everything in its path. But then again Saitama was no ordinary bullet. He disobeyed orders, he did not care about the situation. He was unstoppable.

"Surely even he has his limits," Petra said to herself. "I mean, a life without limitations sound pretty… boring."

"What are you jabbering about, Petra?" Gunther asked, taking a sip from his drink. "Come on, lighten up a little. We lived to fight another day for crying out loud!"

"Just let her be," Olou intertwined, smirking. "She's just sad because Saitama decided to decline her generous offer of having a drink with her."

Petra shot him a cold glare as a reply before speaking up. "I just asked him if he wanted to join us. I never asked him to have a drink with me. Now would you please stuff your mouth with whatever it is you're drinking and shut up?" she asked, clearly irritated.

Olou stared at her in confusion and shock, but decided to let it pass. She was acting differently ever since they returned from the expedition, but he didn't really pay much attention to it. He looked at Gunther and laughed, raising his glass.

"To our next victory!" they both shouted in union.

"To victory." Petra muttered underneath her breath.

Just as she was about to excuse herself, she noticed a familiar looking man walk by. She initially thought her eyes were deceiving her, but it was him.

Saitama.

This time actually excusing herself, she quickly stormed out of the bar and ran after Saitama. Saitama had reached a nearby pond and was sitting crossed legged in front of it, looking down at the water as several fish swam by.

Petra stopped to observe him, but gathered he courage to walk up to him and sit beside him.

An awkward silence befell the two, before Saitama broke the silence.

"It's not polite to follow people." He said, not taking his eyes of the pond.

Petra laughed nervously, fiddling with her hair while doing so. She looked at Saitama and let out a sigh. "You know," she said, looking at the pond. "You were amazing out there. Sorry if I sounded a little harsh, but I just wanted it to be over, you know? I hope you can forgive me."

"Why should I forgive you?" Saitama asked, making her flinch. "I mean, I never thought you did anything wrong. The vomiting thing was an accident, and my suit's cleaned up."

"Yeah, I can see that." Petra replied. "Who cleaned it? Did you?"

"Well I was going to… but then Levi stopped me and told me I had no idea what I was doing and that a toddler could clean better than me."

"Where are you getting at?" Petra asked.

"He cleaned it for me. Also wore some kind of skirt… pretty weird." Saitama replied.

Petra resisted the urge to burst out laughing, but could not hold it in. She laughed so loud that people actually turned their heads to see what the fuss was all about. "Oh m-my, did he actually clean it for you?" she asked, wiping her teary eyes. "This is just amazing! I can't wait to tell the others about this!"

"Oh, really?"

Petra's eyes widened as she heard the familiar monotone voice of her Captain behind her, She quickly got up and saluted, but was dismissed by Levi.

"I see that Saitama spilled the beans, correct?"

Petra nodded, still trying to contain her laughter.

"While I did clean it for him, I did it with good reason. A toddler could clean his suit faster and better than he could. He might be able to put up a fight. But when it comes to cleaning he is as weak as they get." He said, taking a seat beside Saitama. "But even so, he did do good out there. You defiantly achieved more than the whole Survey Corps initially thought. You should be proud of yourself Saitama. I know a lot of us are. Rumors are even spreading about you being a descended from the heavens itself. What a load of bullshit."

"By the way, Saitama," Petra said, getting the hero to look at her. "How did you become as strong as you are now?"

"Yeah," Levi said, looking at him with a curious look. "I've been wondering about that too."

"Oh," Saitama said, turning his attention back at the pond and the fishes. "I just trained really hard for three whole years. One hundred sit-ups, one hundred push-ups, one hundred squats and then a ten kilometer run. Oh, and don't use air-conditioning or your heater, to strengthen your spirit."

"You're fucking with us, right?" Levi asked, raising an eyebrow. "You lost me at one hundred sit-ups. No way in hell you can become that strong by doing just those basic exercises."

"But I did it every day for three whole years." Saitama retorted.

"It's not physically possible for a human to endure so much stress in their body. Your bones would break, your muscles would tense up and hurt too much. Your mind becomes unstable and you'll lose your sanity. You're not giving your muscles enough rest so they will keep heating up, and it will keep hurting. You would have to take breaks between those exercises and-."

"Okay, okay! I get it! Shorten it to ten words or less next time! Sheesh your like Genos when I first met him." Saitama cut him off.

"Who's Genos?" Petra asked.

"His disciple." Levi replied.

"Oh, wow! That must mean he is as strong as you are, huh?" Petra asked, causing Levi to shake his head. "What?" she asked her Captain.

"Who could be stronger than the man who can defeat Titans with his bare fists. Heck, some are already giving him nicknames like 'the Titan Slayer' or 'Humanity's Blade'. I can't believe it."

"Humanity's Blade sounds pretty good, though." Petra remarked, causing Levi to shrug.

"I don't know. Perhaps 'the Caped Baldy' is a better fit."

Saitama's eyes widened as he looked at Levi with a shocked look.

"How do you know my hero name?" he asked.

"What?" Levi asked in confusion.

"How do you know the nickname I was given by the Hero Association, even though you have no idea what it is?" Saitama asked.

"It was just my imagination showing off, Saitama. Give it a rest. You'll not be getting a nickname from me. To me you're still Saitama. And I won't give you any special treatment just because you can punch Titans to death."

"That's a good thing, right?" Saitama asked.

"That depends how much you get on my nerves." Levi replied.

"Am I getting on your nerves?" Saitama asked.

"Not yet." Levi replied.

"Cool, cool." Saitama replied.

Levi cleared his throat before standing up. "I'm heading to bed. Tomorrow we're going to see what that brat has in store for us. I suggest you get some rest to, both of you."

Petra nodded her head, while Saitama just stared at Levi and gave him a two fingered salute. Levi turned around and walked away from the two, leaving them to themselves.

"So," Petra said, twiddling with her thumbs. "You like staring at ponds?"

Stupid question, Ral, stupid question.

"I like watching the fish swim. They're pretty neat. Saitama replied, not taking his eyes off the pond.

"I see," Petra replied. "You know, I haven't really apologized to you SO how about this. Tomorrow I'll introduce you to my parents! I already told them some things about you and they really wanted to meet you in person! My mother is a great cook, and she doesn't mind adding another plate to the table." She said, her expression softening and a sudden heat rising up I her cheeks. "So what do you say?"

Saitama shrugged. "I guess it wouldn't hurt." He replied.

Petra smiled widely as she threw her arms around the hero and hugged him tightly. "Oh thank you so much! I promise you won't be disappointed!"

Saitama reluctantly returned the gesture and hugged her back, though not a tight as she was hugging him. She broke the hug and stood up, stretching her arms as she let out loud yawn. "I'll be heading off to bed as well. Goodnight, Saitama. I'll see you tomorrow."

Saitama watched as she turned around and waved him goodbye. He turned his attention to the pond.

As much as he enjoyed his time here, he really missed his home.

 **A/N:**

 **First off I want to apologize for not updating as frequently as I have before. But on another note… holy crap over seven hundred followers?! What the hell did I do to deserve such a thing? Thank you all so much, you don't know how happy I feel right now.**

 **Thank you all so much! Please be sure to leave a review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N First of all… I apologize for the long, long wait for this chapter. Life got in the way, and some pretty bad shit happened. But it's safe to say I am back and ready for more! And Jesus! Over nine hundred followers? How in the hell did this story attract so much attention?!**

* * *

Morning had arrived quicker than any member of the Survey Corps could have anticipated. The news that a Titan shifter had been caught spread like a wildfire, even reaching the ears of many inhabitants of Wall Sina. Never in their wildest dreams would they have imagined the Survey Corps being this successful. What everyone did not know—except for the members of the Survey Corps was that it was all thanks to one man. This man was their savior, and whether they liked it or not, would be the key to humanity's survival against the looming Titan threat.

The fact that this man looked like you average citizen, said for his attire, made him even less recognizable as someone who can defeat Titans with one punch. It didn't help that he was currently being led to the house of one of his teammates, who had agreed to spend a day with him; while also wanting to introduce him to her parents.

Petra turned her head to Saitama and smiled. When she had asked Saitama to spend the day with her he reluctantly agreed, almost as if he had no idea how to answer such a simple question. Perhaps he was tired, or perhaps it was something else. Petra did not care, though. She just liked spending her free days with someone else than Olou, Gunther, Eld, and even Levi. She thought back to the many days she had spent with them, and she did enjoy their company. But getting to know Saitama better was crucial. She needed to get to know her squad mates better so she could rely on them. Not that she really needed to rely on Saitama… or rather the other way around, since he could easily take care of any Titan that dared to stand in his way.

It was a scary thought at first, walking besides a man with enough power to wipe you off the face of the Earth with a flick of his wrist. But after last night, when she had her talk with Saitama, she felt more at ease around him. He was a very kind man, even though he did not really show it. In a way Saitama shared great resemblance to Captain Levi. His blank stare, the way he faced off against Titans, he did not show any kinds of fear, just like her Captain. But her Captain would sometimes lose his cool… and that was something she had never seen Saitama do. He was always so calm and relaxed, as if he did not care about anything, unless it was of the utmost importance.

It was the same thing when they exited the Walls yesterday morning. While all the other soldiers were screaming and shouting, ready to face off against their enemies, he did not show any sign of emotion. This made her wonder if something was bothering him… she would have to ask him about that.

It was then that she realized how long she had been staring at Saitama. She quickly turned her gaze forward. But then she noticed two men walk towards them. She did not like it. Coming to a halt, she placed her hand on Saitama's shoulder.

"Hold up," she said, staring at him. "Those two could be trouble."

Saitama turned his head towards the two men and watched as they now stood in front of him. He took two quick glances between the two of them. One of them had a thick beard and was wearing a fishermen's hat, while the other had short spiky hair. They were around Saitama's height.

"Hey," one of the men said, staring at Saitama. "Are you him? The guy who defeated dozens of Titans by just punching them?" he asked.

Saitama nodded.

"I knew it!" the man exclaimed, grabbing hold of Saitama's shoulders and embracing him in a hug. "It might not concern you, but… my son died about two months ago on the 55th expedition. He was killed by a Titan… all they found was his upper body. I… just want to thank you. For avenging my son's death by slaughtering more of them." he said, tightening the embrace as his eyes began to water up. "You have no idea how much this means to me. Thank you, Humanity's Blade. Thank you."

"Uhh," Saitama replied, awkwardly patting the man's back. "You're welcome. And I'm sorry about your son."

"Don't be," the man said, letting go of Saitama and rubbing his eyes. "From what I've heard you arrived here when Trost was breached, right? Well, my son died two months before that…" the man solemnly said, staring at the ground. "Had you arrived a bit earlier, then yes, you might have been able to save him. But you arrived when you did, and I'm grateful for that. You gave us hope, sir."

"Yeah," the other man added. "It's an honor being able to meet you in person. I've heard the stories, but I never thought they'd be true." He said, taking a quick glance at Petra. "And it seems the ladies are already lining up in line to get to know you better, huh?" he joked.

Petra blushed.

"Anyway," the man continued. "We'll be on or way. Thank you for everything, sir." He said, bowing his head to Saitama. "And thank you ma'am for risking your life for us." He said, bowing his head to Petra, who could not help but salute to the man.

The two men bid their farewells and continued down the path they were walking. Saitama looked at Petra and spoke up. "So, when are we going to visit your mom and dad? Not that I'm impatient, but I'm kind of hungry." He said, while trying to get something out of his teeth. "Unless you don't want to visit them yet. I mean I know how people usually act when they introduce new people to their parents. They always get sweaty, start stuttering and-."

"No, I don't mind at all." Petra cut him off, hoping he would not somehow mention her little accident from yesterday's expedition. It was then that a question, a question that had been on her mind for quite some time now popped up in her head. "How does it feel?" she asked, getting Saitama to turn his head to her.

"How does what feel? The weather?" Saitama replied, confused at her sudden question.

"No, I meant how does it feel to punch Titans? I mean it seems like you put little to no effort into it, so I was kind of wondering how it feels for you to do such a thing. Just curious, really." Petra replied.

"Well… I don't know. For me it feels normal, really. I mean how would it feel for you to punch a Titan?" Saitama replied.

"If I ever had the guts to get close enough, I think I'd break my hand." Petra replied, laughing nervously. "So does it feel… like nothing, then?" she asked.

"Well… it just feels normal, I guess." Saitama replied.

"Oh, okay." Petra said, looking to her side. "I feel like you've become popular around here, Saitama." She said, taking quick glances at several townsfolk who were staring and whispering about Saitama, and probably her. "Which is completely understandable. I know I've said this dozens of times but you really are a hero. Not only because of your immense power, but also your caring nature… even though you barely show any emotion, really. Mind if I ask why that is?" she asked.

"That's a long story." Saitama replied. "And I hate long stories." He continued, scratching the back of his head in thought. "Is this the part where I say something nice about your outfit?"

Petra looked at him, confusion written on her face. "My outfit? Why would you want to do that?"

"Isn't that what people usually do when they go on these kinds of things? I mean a girl ask a guy out and they say some nice things about one another. That's how it goes in the movies, anyway."

Petra looked at him with a puzzled expression, but the pieces quickly added together and she blushed a deep shade of red before slowly turning her head away from Saitama. "You… think this is a date?" she asked, though it sounded like a whisper. "Not that I'd mind but—I mean this isn't a date or anything! Unless you want this to be a date, I mean I'm sure I can arrange something and-."

"You talk a lot, you know that?" Saitama interrupted her, staring at her with a deadpan look planted on his face. "Try to shorten it a bit. I have a very low concentration span, and I really don't like listening to long stories. Is this a date, or not?" he asked.

Petra bit her lip before speaking up. "N-no, I don't think so."

"Thank God," Saitama breathed out as he brought his finger to his nose. "That booger has been stuck in there for way too long, you know?" he asked, turning to her while shooting the green, slimy substance off his gloved finger. "And I hate boogers."

Petra shuddered before clearing her throat. "Well it looks like we have arrived." she said, standing in front of a decent looking house. "Mother, father, I'm home! I brought a friend with me!"

* * *

Pain. Excruciating pain. That was the only thing she was feeling at the moment. When Annie Leonhart was captured by the Survey Corps and brought into an underground detention center she never would have thought this was the kinds of things they would be doing to her. A small wooden table stood in front of her, littered with various scalpels, spikes, and other methods of torture. And her torturer? None other than Captain Levi himself. She looked up at the young Captain, teeth gritted and eyes glaring daggers at him. If she would ever get out of this mess he would be the first one she'd kill… along with Saitama.

That bastard. That bald bastard. If it hadn't been for him she would have decimated the Levi Squad along with their Captain. But now, thanks to his actions, she was stuck in this prison. She had been tortured and beaten. They tried breaking her, but she would not break. She was chosen for this. She would not give up. Her two comrades would surely come and save her. She was sure of it.

"You know, if you just spilled the beans this could all be over. I'll slice your neck and you'll be free from any further torture."

Annie stared at the Captain with a newfound hatred. She laughed at him mockingly, making the Captain's glare towards her even more intimidating. "Do you honestly think I believe a word you say?" she asked the Captain. "I mean seriously, are you that dense? If you want me to talk you'll have to try a lot harder than that."

"Sure seemed Saitama didn't have to try hard, now did he?" Levi asked, moving his face closer to hers. "How did it feel? How did it feel, knowing you had lost the very moment you picked a fight with the guy? Where you angry? Scared even? Because I would be angry, you know. I mean picking a fight with someone who far surpasses your own strength is a very, very stupid thing to do. But of course you are just a little brat, so stupidity comes with age, I guess."

"I _would_ have killed him." Annie started.

"But you _couldn't_. Because you were too weak. You still are." Levi retorted, his gaze never shifting.

"Tell that to those dozens of soldiers that now lay buried beneath the earth." Annie replied sarcastically.

The answer from Levi was not met with words, but a scalpel puncturing her skin and digging into her leg. She winced and had to keep herself from screaming in pain when Levi slowly moved the scalpel further down her leg, cutting open the flesh that had just recently healed. Blood oozed out of her wound, staining the floor. Levi kept a monotone gaze on her leg, as if not disgusted in the slightest, even though blood stained his hands too. He pulled out the scalpel and moved to the other leg, ready to repeat the process as he had been doing for the last couple of hours.

Annie wasn't sure how much more she could take of this. Levi's torture methods were extreme, designed to get a human being to talk within minutes. The fact that she held out this long was an accomplishment on its own. Annie tensed her muscles, ready to feel the agonizing pain once more, when suddenly the door to the room flung open, revealing none other than Commander Erwin himself. This made Levi stop, but the scalpel never left the palm of his hand.

"To what do I own this unexpected pleasure?" Levi asked, turning around to face Erwin. "I was in the middle of… something, you know."

Erwin shifted his gaze to Annie. Shaking his head he turned his attention back to Levi. "You've been here long enough, it's time for you to get some much deserved rest. Hanji will take over. She has some new methods she wants to try out." He replied.

As if on cue Hanji came walking in with two other Survey Corps soldiers. She placed her hands on her hips, shaking her head. "Such a shame the great Captain Levi wasn't able to get any info out of her." she said, looking at Levi with a small grin planted on her face. "I mean how hard can it be? She's just a "spoiled little brat" after all, right?"

"Well," Levi began, moving closer to her. "This so called little brat is tougher than she looks. I cut open her legs for literal hours, then decided to go for some other body parts I'd rather not discuss, and then was about to go back to her legs again when you came bursting in."

"Never thought you'd want to touch female body parts that intimately." Hanji chuckled, walking passed Levi. "I have some other methods I'd like to try out. I want to see how her body will react to certain fluid being injected into her blood system. Titans seem to be immune to poison, or at least an amount that could put down twenty humans. So I want to see how she reacts."

Erwin held up his hand, motioning for her to stop. "Let's just save the poison for another time. Right now we must get her to talk. You are to use mechanical methods only. No need for biological experiments that could possibly kill her. We still need to learn who she's working for."

"You're no fun," Hanji wined in a child-like manner, making the two officers look at her with raised eyebrows.

Levi shook his head before walking out of the room, but not before he whispered something into Erwin's ear. Erwin's ears perked up at what Levi told him, and he nodded to the Captain and watched him take his leave.

"Hanji," Erwin said, getting her attention. "Do what must be done."

* * *

Saitama was feeling uncomfortable. Very uncomfortable. The moment he stepped into the Ral house he was greeted by two overenthusiastic parents who were eagerly awaiting the arrival of "Humanity's Blade". Saitama only greeted them back, not knowing how to talk to two parents who constantly kept asking question after question. In all honesty it was starting to annoy him, but he decided not to express his annoyance. Petra seemed to be having fun time. She was enjoying herself, telling stories of her adventures outside of the walls.

Saitama looked down at his half empty plate. The food was actually not that bad, and the soup Petra's mother had prepared really topped it all. The last time he had eaten this good was when Genos prepared Udon.

Genos.

Saitama let out a sigh, thinking back to his disciple. He was starting to miss the young cyborg's presence. Heck, even the long stories he would tell him was something he started to miss. It wasn't like Petra, or Levi weren't good company, but Genos had been with him for quite some time now, and he was starting to view the cyborg as a friend, perhaps even family. If Genos were here he would have surely come up with a plan to take out every single Titan within the vicinity. He'd probably burn the whole forest of Giant Trees to the ground to do it. Perhaps Genos had anger issues…

"So, Saitama, how do you feel when facing off against a Titan?" Petra's father asked, looking at Saitama with curious intent. "A lot of the times I've heard stories of soldiers freezing at the place, Titans surrounding them as they could only stare in utter shock. Has this ever happened to you, Saitama?"

"Nope." Saitama replied casually.

"Ah, I see." Mr. Ral said, clearing his throat. "So you truly are something—or rather someone of great worth to humanity."

Saitama shrugged, taking a bite from a piece of bread that was present on his plate. "People keep telling me that, yes."

"That is simply amazing!" Ms. Ral exclaimed, moving towards Saitama. "You truly are an amazing man, Mr. Saitama. I can finally rest easy now, knowing we have you on our side." She said, turning to her husband. "Don't you feel the same way, honey?"

Mr. Ral nodded his head, smiling as he took a quick glance at Saitama. "I sure do. I mean I haven't seen it in person, but with so many people telling stories about your strength… I can safely say that Captain Levi has to watch out, or else he'll lose his title."

Petra's ears perked up at that.

"Captain Levi. Petra, dear, isn't that the man you spoke so highly of just a few days ago? The one you send a letter about?"

"Yes, mother." Petra replied, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"But don't you think it's a bit too early for you to consider marriage?" Mr. Ral asked, raising an eyebrow as he turned to Saitama. "Don't you agree, Saitama?"

"I think I'll skip answering that question, since where I come from asking a woman how old she is; is considered rude." Saitama replied. "Unless things here are different. I don't know, just not really interested in other people's affairs."

"But surely you must agree that when you're young you should enjoy life at its fullest." Mr. Ral reasoned, only to be cut off by a less pleased Petra Ral.

"Father, I am not a child anymore. I do not need your help in these kinds of matters. I'm out there risking my life for humanity while you stay here behind these walls. So is Captain Levi. And so is Saitama. It is my life and I can do whatever I want with it."

"And you are my daughter. Just how old is that Captain Levi? Surely he is at least five years older than you." Mr. Ral reasoned.

"Who knows? That's for you to find out." Petra snapped back.

"Could I have some more bread, please?" Saitama cut in, holding up his plate.

"Take the whole loaf for all I care." Petra snapped at him.

"You mean it?" Saitama asked.

"I'm going to get some fresh air. Alone." Petra said.

The three remaining people in the house of Ral could only watch as Petra exited the comfort of her house. An awkward silence befell the household, with Mr. and Ms. Ral exchanging glances of worry towards one another. They both turned to Saitama, as if he had something to say in the matter. But their hopes quickly withered when they saw Saitama stare at them with that monotone gaze of his. Mr. Ral let out long sigh before burying his head in his hands.

"I just don't want to see my daughter make rash decisions." He shamefully admitted, looking up at Saitama. "Surely you can understand this from my point of view, can you?" he asked.

"I don't think so. I don't have a daughter." Saitama replied. "Perhaps she's just a little worn out."

"This is the first time she ever brought someone home with her after an expedition. Normally she would come alone, tired and would not say a word. She'd usually go up to her room and lay in her bed. I don't know what suddenly changed her mind, but I think it has something to do with Captain Levi." Mr. Ral said.

"Shorty? Why is that?" Saitama asked, raising an eyebrow.

"She wrote in a letter that she wanted to devote her whole life to him."

"That sounds… kinky, I guess." Saitama cut in.

"She wrote that the Captain had done something to steal her heart away from her. I don't know what has gotten into her, but I hope she doesn't make the wrong decision. She's just a young girl. She has so many years to come… thanks to you." Mr. Ral said, smiling to Saitama. "I think everyone has. I know you have probably heard this dozens of times but thanks to you humanity has gotten his hopes up once more. First there was that Titan boy, and now there is you. Of course Captain Levi is strong as well… but still. I just don't see my daughter and him in the way she does. I know this is not my decision to make but still… she will always be my little Petra, who I once held as a baby."

Saitama only listened to Mr. Ral as he kept on telling about Petra in her early days as a child. In truth he could see why M. Ral was so concerned. But even so, Captain Levi seemed like a pretty reasonable guy. Short but reasonable… and his habit for wearing cleaning dresses could be considered a little weird too. And there is the fact that he sometimes spends a lot of time on his hair, plus the fact he sometimes scolds himself for getting dirty… wait, what was he thinking about again? Oh, yes, Petra. Yeah, she was a pretty cool girl. She enjoyed the little things and always seemed to be interested in sharing conversations with Saitama. When they were in the barracks, on the field… even though she vomited on him… and yesterday at the small lake. Saitama thought back at that moment, but his thoughts drifted off to the fishes that resided in that lake. He really wanted to go and see them again. He could swear there was Salmon in there too. Perhaps even other cool fishes.

"So, what do you think?" Mr. Ral suddenly asked, shaking Saitama out of his thoughts.

Saitama looked at Mr. Ral and opened his mouth to speak up.

"I must take my leave." He said, turning around and walking to the door

"And why is that?" Mr. Ral asked curiously.

"There are fishes waiting for me." Saitama said in a serious tone. "And I must not wait any longer. Goodbye, and thank you for the meal."

The Ral's both looked at Saitama in utter confusion as he left the household. Deciding not to press on on the subject, they decided to clean up.

Saitama exited the house, determined to find out what kinds of fish resided in the small lake. It came as a bit of a surprise, however, when he saw Petra talking to Captain Levi and Squad Leader Mike. He decided to just walk past them, hoping they would ignore him.

"Hey, baldy." Suddenly came the voice of Captain Levi. "I need to have a word with you."

"I do not see what my baldness has to do with this." Saitama replied, turning to face Levi. "How can I help you, midget?" he asked, hoping the insult would strike a nerve in Levi as it did with him when he called him baldy… he really did not liked being called that. He stretched his arms, yawning while doing so. "So, what do you want to talk about?"

"How good are you at getting people to talk?"


	13. Chapter 13

Saitama was confused. He was not sure about Levi's question. Getting people to talk? What was that supposed to mean? Who needed to talk? Was it Eren? Or Mikasa? He did not know, but he didn't care either. His lunch with Petra was pretty neat, and the food wasn't all that bad either. The talk with her parents was a little weird. He didn't know much about woman, nor of marriage… or anything along the lines of that.

"Hey, baldy, you listening?" came the voice of Levi, shaking Saitama out of his thoughts. "When we arrive at the prison you'll have to do some things you'd rather not to." Levi continued, not averting his eyes off Saitama. "But we need Annie to talk. We need to know whose she's working for."

"Okay, but why did you not just ask her to talk?" Saitama replied, raising an eyebrow. "I mean what have you guys been doing ever since we came back from the expedition? Not that I've been doing anything productive other than filling my belly with food." He finished with a yawn at the end. "Whoa, looks like my body is telling me to take a nap."

"Then your body is wrong," Levi retorted. "No naps."

"Would anyone care to remind me how this guy became humanity's savior?" Saitama deadpanned. Instead of getting a verbal reply, he instead felt a hot breath on his bald head. Raising an eyebrow in confusion; Saitama turned his head and was met with the face of squad leader Mike, who was… sniffing him. He was sniffing him. Why was he sniffing him?

"Uh, mind telling what you're doing?" Saitama asked, raising an eyebrow at the tall leader. "I know I don't smell that that good but don't you think this is a bit overkill?" he continued.

Mike shrugged before taking his attention away from Saitama. He then kept his face forward, not paying attention to anyone but the road in front of him.

Saitama did not say anything. Instead he listened to what Levi was telling him… which was a rarity.

"Listen, baldy, we have to find out why Annie did what she did. She killed troops, troops I watched grow into soldiers. She killed them in cold blood. She betrayed all of us. Do you understand what I'm getting at?" Levi said, closing the space between him and Saitama. "I've tried everything I could… well, at least what Erwin wanted me to do. Now it's up to you. Use whatever methods you see fit. Just get her to spill the beans."

This time it was Petra who replied. "I don't think that Saitama is a guy to do those kinds of things." She whispered into Levi's ear. "I mean he seems like a pretty relaxed guy whenever he's facing off against Titans. But having him torture someone? I don't think he'd like that." She added, taking a quick glance at Saitama before returning her attention to Levi again. "Why don't you just try again?"

"I have already tried too much," Levi whispered back. "I mean I would have nearly killed her had Erwin not come in. I was losing my fucking patience, Petra."

"You were losing your patience? Who are you and what have you done to Captain Levi?" Petra whispered back in a joking manner, although Levi's serious expression quickly dismissed that hint of humor. "Apologies, Captain I—I just forgot about the situation. I'm sorry."

"No need for apologies, Petra," Levi replied, shaking his head as he quickened his pace, not wanting to waste any time. "I feel that these last couple of days have been tiresome for all of us. Even Erwin is getting a little sick and tired from all this vague information. The goal is Eren's basement, and whatever we'll find in there that might help us end the Titan threat." He took a quick glance at Saitama. "And that guy will be the one leading us into victory."

"You think so?" Petra asked, raising an eyebrow at her Captain. "I'm surprised you're all taking this so well, Captain. I mean everyone always thought so highly of you before Saitama arrived. They all thought you would be the one to lead us into victory... and I did too." She admitted solemnly.

"You did?" Levi asked.

"Yes, but after I've seen what Saitama can do I'm not sure who's going to lead us into victory." Petra replied.

"Does it even matter?"

Both Levi and Petra turned to Mike, who had suddenly decided to chime in on their conversation. They both looked at Mike with a hint of curiosity planted on their faces.

"What do you mean, Mike?" Petra asked.

"As long as we're being led o victory, I couldn't care less. I will always follow Captain Levi," he said, turning to Levi to emphasize on his comment. "But I will also follow Saitama. He has proven himself to me. Instead of thinking about who is better, why not think about what kind of team they could make?" he suggested.

"And why not shorten your conversation?" Saitama called out to them in a sarcastic manner. "I'm just going to continue walking, if you don't mind. Boy, the sun sure looks pretty today."

The three soldiers all shook their heads before following the Caped Baldy.

' _He's strong. Stronger than any of us._ ' Levi commented to himself, eyeing Saitama curiously. _'It's not common I show so much appreciation. And even though eh acts like he doesn't care he's still a member of my squad. And I do not regret my decision. With the right amount of training he can become an expert with the 3DMG, and along with his power we can finally free humanity from its tormentors._ Levi continued to stare at Saitama. _'Considering the fact he defeat Annie in her Titan form is an accomplishment on its own. This man… he will become the new Humanity's strongest.'_

Levi softly chuckled to himself. ' _And it looks like defending my title is a lost cause as well. Ah well, not that I care anyways. I mean a title it just a title after all.'_

Petra too had her own thoughts on Saitama, but decided not to pay too much attention to them. They had other issues that needed to be attend to. Starting with Annie.

That girl needed to pay… one way or another.

* * *

Annie stared at squad leader Hanji with newfound anger and hatred. She had done some pretty gruesome things to her. Levi's torture was bad, but hers was even worse. Cutting off finger nails and pulling them out was something that nearly made her burst out into tears. Then came the cutting. She cut her entire body up to the point where she would have almost bleed out. But this woman was smart, and knew enough about human anatomy that prevented her from dealing a killing blow to her body. And after the cutting came the cauterizations. Her skin was as black as charcoal, and were it not for her Titan healing, she would have died on the spot.

But she was strong. She was chosen to be a Titan shifter. She was stronger than anyone else.

"You're not, by the way." Hanji mused humorously. "And before you ask: Yes, you did say that out loud." She gave a soft chuckle, staring intensely at the Titan shifter seconds later. "I mean how could you even think you'd get close to matching Saitama's strength. The man is a walking God. He can defeat every single Titan in this world. You are nothing compared to him. And even so, should Saitama fail—which I highly doubt he would, Captain Levi would be happy to take his place. He'd cut you up into tiny pieces. You'd be dead before you know it."

Annie said nothing. This psychological bullying and torture was not going to get to her.

"And I heard he's coming here, you know." Hanji added.

"What?!" Annie exclaimed in shock, not expecting Hanji to tell her this information.

"Got ya!" Hanji laughed. "And it looks like I just found out the thing you fear the most. That being Saitama." She shook her head, calming herself down. "But no, Saitama isn't coming. I mean if he did you'd probably shit your pants."

"Once I get out of here," Annie sneered, glaring at Hanji intensely. "I'm killing you first."

"Low threats from a caged bird. A bird who will never have the ability to spread her wings ever again." Hanji retorted, spinning a scalpel between her fingers. "Now let's try this again, shall we?" she asked, stabbing the scalpel into Annie's collar bone. "Who are you working for? What is he or she trying to accomplish?" she asked, slowly twisting the scalpel, breaking off small piece of bone in the process. "Why did you betray your fellow humans?"

Annie said nothing as she simply stared at Hanji.

The scalpel was pulled out and brought back into her bone. "Tell me what I want to know and I'll make the pain stop." Hanji said slowly, hoping this would get Annie to finally break out of her shell. "If not then I'll begin stabbing into some more private areas." She said, motioning to Annie's "lower area".

"Go ahead," Annie smirked. "Levi already did that."

"Ooh, I like where this is going." Hanji smirked, taking out the scalpel. "Well if you're sure about then I don't see why I can't-."

"Squad leader Hanji."

Hanji turned her head only to be met by one of the guards that were guarding the entrance to Annie's cell. "Yes?" she asked, curiosity present in her voice. "How can I help you? I'm clearly busy."

"Your shift ends now." One of the guard stated, coming through the door to let two persons enter. "He will be taking over from here on out. You're dismissed, squad leader."

"WHAT?! Hanji exclaimed in anger, balling her hands up into fist. "I'll kick his ass for this! Who is it? Let me through that door so I can punch that son of a bitch!" she continued, running past the guard and bringing her arm back for a full-blown punch to whoever was interrupting her in her experiments. She felt her fist collide with flesh. She smirked. That would teach him.

"Don't tell me you're on your period too. I already had to deal with Mikasa, and now you?" came the monotone voice of someone Hanji knew all too well.

"S-S-Saitama." Hanji stuttered, backing up. "I, uhm, I was just testing to see how good your reflexes were. Shame on you, by the way, not seeing my punch coming." She nervously scolded him, hoping he'd forget about this whole thing faster than she could run away from him should he not. "So what brings you here?"

"Him," Saitama replied, pointing a backwards thumb to Captain Levi, who stood inside the doorframe tapping his foot impatiently on the wooden floor, sending the echoes of said tapping through Hanji's ears. Everyone could feel the tension rising. Levi was not happy with Hanji's actions.

"But I was sent here to talk to her," Saitama added, looking at Annie while walking past Hanji. "Hi, Annie." He greeted her.

"Get away from me!" Annie demanded, stomping her foot down on the floor. "Get away from me you freak!"

"Okay." Saitama replied, turning around and taking his exit, only to be stopped by Levi. "What?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at the Captain. "She said no."

"And in girl standards "no" means "yes"." Levi retorted, spinning Saitama around to get him to face Annie again. "Go get her… or something along the lines of that. I swear the new recruits have a way with their words."

"They sure do," Hanji replied, causally walking past Saitama. "And by the way, "no" still means "no". Unless you want a foot shoved up your-."

"Not a word, Hanji." Levi cut her off, turning to Saitama one last time. "You can kick her ass later, by the way. Just get that brat to talk."

Saitama watched as they took their leave, along with the guards that were with them. He sighed, not really wanting to talk to anyone. He turned to Annie and saw… a broken girl. She was exhausted, like she had been running all day with no pauses. Her eyes were red, as if she had been crying. Her arms, legs, and back were all chained to this uncomfortable looking wooden chair. Her clothing was torn, and there was drops of blood everywhere. What had they been doing to her?

"Hey, are you feeling okay?" Saitama asked, taking a wooden chair and taking a seat opposite of Annie. "You really don't look so good. Have you even eaten anything?"

Annie said nothing, even going as far as to avert her gaze from him. This guy again. Great. Like her day wasn't bad from the get-go.

"Here."

Annie looked up to see Saitama holding what appeared to be a brown rectangular shaped bar. She stared at the strange item he was holding. "Crunchy chocolate" it read. What the heck was that supposed to mean? She knew what chocolate was. It was one of the most expensive and exquisite treats within the Walls. And only those living in Wall Sina had ever gotten the opportunity to taste it. She stared at the item again, and then dared to take a quick glance at Saitama. His gaze was unlike that of Levi or Hanji. It was… neutral. Even nice, in a way. She quickly forced herself to look away from the bar, however, knowing exactly what he was getting at.

"Trying to buy me over isn't going to work. Why not try the scalpels? I mean everyone else tried, so why don't you?" she asked sarcastically.

"Oh," Saitama said, picking up a blood-stained scalpel from a nearby wooden table. "I'm not a fan of knives." He said, crushing the scalpel in his palm until it was nothing more than a small iron ball. He twirled it between his gloved fingers before dropping it to the floor. "I'm not here to hurt you, you know. I just want to talk."

"Talk about what?" Annie asked.

"Still figuring that one out."

Annie deadpanned. So this guy didn't even know why he was here? Or was this another one of his weird mind-tricks or something. When she was in her Titan form and he asked her oh so innocently to come out of it she almost complied… almost. This had to be another one of his tricks.

"Aren't you hungry?" Saitama asked.

"Even if I was hungry, how the hell will I be able to eat the damn thing?" Annie retorted. "I can't eat, I'm chained to this chair. Can't you see that?"

As a reply Saitama brought the bar closer to her face, making her look at him in confusion. She didn't know what he was trying to do, but she didn't like it one bit. It was when the bar touched her lips that she savored the taste that she quickly opened her mouth and took a huge chunk out of the bar. She chewed and almost sighed in delight at the taste. This tasted amazing. She took another bite, and another one until she suddenly munched down on Saitama's fingers. She widened her eyes and quickly retracted he head.

"I'm so sorry!" Annie blurted out, a shade of red forming on her cheeks. Wait… did she just say she was _sorry_? Why did she say that?

"That's okay," Saitama said, staring at the tiny bite marks on his red glove. "Things like that happen when you're hungry. I almost bit off my mom's fingers when she was feeding me as a baby. So no hard feelings." He added.

Annie stared at Saitama again with newfound curiosity. She had just been fed by the same man who defeated her with little effort just one day ago. First he just walked into her cell like it was a normal visit, then he crushed a freaking scalpel with his bare hand, and then he gave her one of the most expensive treats out there like it was normal bread. What the hell was wrong with this guy? Was he really that desperate to get information out her? Or… was he actually being nice with her.

"Well… did you like it?" Saitama asked.

Annie slowly nodded her head. She decided, knowing she'd never get out of this mess, she might as well ask Saitama the question that had been roaming through her mind for the last couple of hours.

"How did you become as strong as you are now, Saitama?" Annie asked with genuine curiosity in her voice.

Saitama pinched the bridge of his nose before speaking up. "Well you're not the first one to ask me this. But promise me you won't lash out, okay?" he asked, looking at her with a serious expression. "I hate it when people do that."

Annie slowly nodded her head.

"Let me tell you a little something about a hero I once read in a book. A book my mother used to read to me" Saitama said, getting her full attention.

"There was once a boy named. Toto was a totally normal boy, and was paddling in the sea one day when a sea urchin stung him. At that precise moment, when he was rubbing his foot, he was simultaneously attacked by an octopus, a mosquito and a parrotfish, while being whipped by the tail of a platypus and having a seagull poop on his head... From such an unlikely confluence of events there could only emerge a new superhero, with impressive superpowers:

Superpower Ultra Man!

Such were his powers that he immediately thought he should not waste them on little things, and Superpower Ultra Man began hunting danger and threats to the world, so he could save us from the worst of the worst."

Saitama caught his breath for a second. He was not used to this kind of storytelling. He looked at Annie, who was simply staring at him, her face filled with curiosity. So he decided to continue.

"But the more he searched with his super-sight, the more he travelled the world with his hyper-velocity, and listened to the skies with his multi-frequency digital hearing, he found no one trying to conquer the galaxy or attempting to blow up the planet. He couldn't even find some villain planning to drain the seas or plunder a mountain. It seemed as though everyone, the good and the bad, were busy with much more mundane things, and they only had normal problems. So Superpower Ultra Man spent his days bored, exploring the skies in search of missions impossible that were deserving of a superhero of his caliber.

He got so very bored that when they offered him a television program to do, to demonstrate his abilities, he accepted, though he would only get the chance to rescue a few dozen people.

And when, finally, his moment of glory arrived, about which every superhero dreams, his demonstration turned into a complete disaster. Superpower Ultra Man was so used to thinking of things on a grand scale that he didn't know how to grab and rescue a single person.

He did everything to the max, without controlling his strength or his speed, so the whole thing ended up as a painful mix of blows, bruises, scratches, shouts, broken bones and torn clothing. Hurt and half naked, the "saved" ended up calling the superhero everything under the sun, amid the loud laughter of the public and journalists...

It's possible that no superhero had ever been so embarrassed. And ever since that day, any time someone refuses to do something because they consider it to be beneath themselves, everyone remembers the case of Superpower Ultra Man and says:

"Don't be such a Superpower Ultra Man; if you never learn how to do the little things, you'll never know greatness."

After he had finished the story, a story written by the talented _Pedro Pablo Sacristán_ he looked at Annie again. He face was filled with a mix of confusion and awe. Saitama was surprised a bed-time story meant for little children could engulf someone so quickly. He decided to let Annie talk first, hoping this would get her to open up a bit.

"What does this have to do with you?" Annie asked.

"Well… like Superpower Ultra Man… I don't have anything to do. Having overwhelming power is pretty boring. And I realized that a long time ago. I trained so hard that I simply defeated all of my enemies with one punch. And in all honesty I don't feel any kind of emotion while battling. No fear, joy, anger, nothing. Just nothing." Saitama replied.

"Then… you felt no fear when we were fighting?" Annie asked.

"Nope," Saitama replied. "Not at all."

"Then how did you become so strong? You still didn't answer my question." Annie remarked. "I want to know."

Saitama took a deep breath before speaking up to tell her the truth. "All I did was one hundred push-ups, one hundred sit ups, one hundred squats and a ten kilometer run every day for three years. Then I got this strong."

Annie's jaw almost hit the ground when she heard him say that. This guy had to be messing with her. He had to! No way he could have become this strong by just doing that! In her fit of rage Annie began to hyperventilate. Her face turned red, and she felt like she was about to explode. Saitama, seeing this as a life-threatening situation, broke the chains around her chair.

"Breathe, Annie, breathe." He said, patting her back.

"I… I need fresh air, please." Annie wheezed.

"Okay." Saitama replied. He picked her up and threw her over his shoulder and ran out of the prison cell, leaving a trail of dust and two very confused prison guards behind him. Within seconds the duo reached the outside world. Saitama placed Annie down, patting her back reassuringly.

"Okay, now take some deep breaths and-."

Saitama was cut off when Annie brought her finger to her mouth and chomped down on it. In a blinding fit of anger Annie stared at Saitama. Mission accomplished. He had played right into her hands. His sympathies with her would be his downfall. A bright flash of lightning struck Annie, and within seconds she transformed into her Titan form. She looked down at Saitama and raised her foot.

"Uh, Annie, I think that's against the rules." Saitama said, before Annie's foot slammed down upon him...

 **A/N**

 **Okay, I cannot apologize enough for the long wait. Life got in the way again, and school. But I am back. By the way, the story Saitama was telling Annie is a tribute to one of my favorite bed-time stories as a little kid.**

 **Also, I have two more things to say. First is a Skype group me and another used called "BuffaloSoldia115" created where we talk about stories and other things. So if you're ever impatient about an update and want to know what's going on in our lives, feel free to join our group. Just send a friend request to "solidarc5542" on Skype and I'll add you to the group!**

 **Also, talking about BuffaloSoldia115… he has a story out here in that deserves a lot more attention than it has. It is a crossover between Call of Duty Black Ops 3 and Star Wars Rebels, and it is written excellently. If you guys want to—and it would mean a lot to me—could you perhaps check out his story? I know I'm asking a lot, but this would really help Buffalo out as well. The story is called: Rebels 4 Man. If you can, please check it out.**

 **Well that's everything I have to say for now. Hope you guys enjoyed the chapter. Please R &R!**


	14. Chapter 14

Loud cracks, ear-deafening screams of pure terror, and destroyed buildings were all that could be heard throughout the inner-wall. Titans where a threat no one wanted to encounter. Especially those within the inner walls. Those walls were meant to be a safe-haven for people with enough power, wealth and status. So imagine their surprise when a Titan—a female one at that was running rampant through the city, after having repeatedly been stomping on the same spot for at least a dozen times before somewhat being satisfied with the result.

The result being that Titan's greatest annoyance several feet below the ground, with no possible means of escape whatsoever.

Annie Leonhart was satisfied. With her somewhat easy escape from the Survey Corp's clutches—thanks to a dull-headed Saitama, she was now free to resume her mission. However her mission was somewhat difficult to complete… now that she had absolutely no idea where to look for Eren Yeager. The Survey Corps was supposed to have some kind of a meeting within these walls, she overheard that much before her capture. Supposedly Erwin was going to discuss the Survey Corp's influence within the walls. Presumably he wanted to get more recruits, and wanted to spread the message within all walls, including this one. And as an example of how strong the Survey Corps is, he probably wanted Eren to accompany him along the way. A foolish mistake on his end.

Annie, now in her Titan form, was running rampant through the streets. She didn't care much for civilians, and the Military Police were all too dazzled to even begin to comprehend what was even happening. But who could blame them? A Titan within the innermost wall? You would be thrown into prison for even suggesting such an idea. Annie looked to her right, watching in slight amusement when several MP Officers cowered in fear when they stared directly into her eyes. Inwardly she chuckled, but on the outside her Titan features stayed the same. Monotone, fearless, that is who she was. Saitama was indeed powerful, almost as powerful as… basically any Titan she had encountered. Even Reiner and Bertolt would have trouble taking care of him. But now that he was buried underneath a thick layer of concrete and dirt...

Only a mere four hundred meters away from Annie's position, a small group of Military Police grunts were watching the Titan they had heard about so much close in on their position. Many of the troops, even the elder and higher ranking ones, had fled to higher ground, hoping the Female Titan would not get them. The fact that only a handful of recruits stood firm, whether that be by adrenaline or misguided courage, proved once more how inferior the MP was compared to the Survey Corps. No matter how many MP would be facing off against Titans, the Survey Corps would tenfold that kill count.

"Holy shit." One of the grunts breathed out in disbelief, running a sweaty hand over his face. "I can't believe what I'm seeing. How did it get inside? This is the innermost wall for crying out loud!" he tuned to his comrades, hoping they would agree with him or perhaps try to shut him up, He just wanted someone to say something, damnit!

"Looks like we're all doomed, then." Another grunt, this one presumably the oldest of the group, replied, shaking his head and chuckling grimly to himself. "Fritz, you sure you don't want to run and hide from your problems like always?" he asked Fritz, who was glaring daggers at the Female Titan as she kept closing on their position.

"Shut up, Vilhelm." Fritz replied, his eyes still fixed upon the Titan. "This is the last time you mock me, asshole." He turned to his comrades, letting out a sigh before speaking up. "What have we been doing these last couple of months? Chasing criminals, patrolling the city, and doing some other crap that won't help humanity prevail? We should be fighting right now! Not running!"

"You chose this life, asshole." Vilhelm replied, crossing his arms. "If you wanted to fight so badly, then you should have chosen the Survey Corps. You could be hanging out with that guy who kills Titans with just one punch." He snickered. "And where is that guy now? Probably doing some stupid shit that isn't helping anyone."

"Your fucking behavior isn't helping anyone either, you idiot!" Fritz retorted, clenching his fist. "For so many years I've heard stories about the Survey Corps. About their Commander. I always thought to myself "why do they do it?" you know, why do they go out and fight for a cause they cannot possibly win? But then I realized something. It's because they wanted to be free, they wanted to live their lives as they see fit. They got to see some of the outside world, and they even took back some parts from Wall Maria, I believe." Fritz turned to his comrades, his friends, and in a way; his family. "I know you're all scared shitless. Heck, even I'm not even sure what the hell I'm doing right now. But I do know one thing; we should never let fear control us. We should never let the Titans control us. That is why I trained to become a member for the Survey Corps."

"And yet you joined the MP." Vilhelm stated, glaring at him. "Shut the hell up with your stupid speeches and just face it! We have to run and hide!"

"Yeah," Fritz breathed out, looking down at his feet. "When I graduated in the top ten candidates last year, I thought the Survey Corps would be the right choice. All of my friends wanted to join the Wall Guys, as they called them, and others the MP—the ones in the top ten, at least. Thing is… I actually met Commander Erwin. I met the man I wanted to serve under and… was scared. He told me how many men he had lost last week, the week before graduation. His monotone speech pattern, his emotionless face as he told me about a man being ripped in half by a Titan. This man was no man—he was a monster, hiding in human flesh." He looked up at the sky, holding back tears of regret as he gritted his teeth. "But now I realize that in order to defeat monsters, we have to become monsters ourselves. In order to defeat we must sacrifice and… we just have to go for it, knowing full well what is going to happen next. If I have to die fighting against monsters, then I am happy to abandon my humanity. I will become monster myself in order to defeat a monster."

"What the hell do you think you're doing, you idiot?" one of the MP grunts exclaimed in horror when Fritz successfully attached his 3DMG's cable to Annie's neck. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

"We're the MP for crying out loud!" Fritz, barely over eighteen years old, retorted, his eyes fixed upon the Female Titan as he propelled himself upwards. "If we kill the Titan the Survey Corp's has been going after for such a long time," he started, taking out two blades and crossing them in front of his face. "Then I can be happy, knowing I did something right!" he used the momentum of his swing, combined with the zero-gravity he was feeling at the time of his leap, to launch himself at the Female Titan. "For humanity!" he screamed before closing in on the nape of the monster that had killed so many soldiers.

The soldier, even with all of his bravery and courage, never got close to his target as his 3DMG cable was grabbed by the Female Titan and pulled on with strength that could match a hundred men. The solider could only watch in pure shock as he felt his bpd being slammed into the concrete roof of one of the nearby buildings of the inner wall city. After the initial impact only a bloody mess of bones, flesh and blood were left of what was once a brave solider of the MP.

"Fritz, no!" Vilhelm screamed in anger as he shot his cable at the Female Titan. "You're going to regret killing my friend!" Vilhelm shouted, only to be met by a fist the size of a bolder that hit him square in the face, sending his head flying as his headless body fell to the concrete ground. Both soldiers had fallen, and Annie simply advanced. Annie looked around and watched as several MP soldiers glided away from the scene, not wanting to end up like the ones she had just killed. Annie had to think and use her head. Was she going to go after Eren and complete her mission, or was she going to escape and prevent capture? She wondered what Bertolt and Reiner would have done. Unlike Reiner she didn't have thick armor covering up most of her body, and her hardening abilities could only last that long. Bertolt would have no trouble taking care of the city, probably destroying it in the process too before capturing Eren. But she needed to be careful. She might have taken care of Saitama, but there was another threat she had to worry about.

Captain Levi. He was a dangerous man who definitely lived up to his reputation. He was a well-respected, high class soldier who knew how to handle things. She experienced this first hand when she was fighting against Saitama. Even though her attention was mostly focused on the baldy, Captain Levi still did a number on her as well. The amount of times he cut through her skin without giving her the chance to harden her skin was almost in-human. But so was Saitama's strength. She had to find Eren. She had to find him and she had to capture him. That was her mission, and she would complete it.

* * *

"And that is what we've managed to gather from her. Absolutely nothing." Levi finished, crossing his arms while leaning back into his chair. "I couldn't get anything out of her, so I send in Saitama to squeeze some information out of her." he finished, closing his eyes. "I guess we'll just have to wait and see what happens next."

"Are you sure Saitama will be able to crack that shell of hers?" Petra asked, resting her head on the palms of her hands. "I mean he knows how to beat Titans. But can he get something out of one?"

"I'm not too sure about that." Levi replied. "But I nearly killed her—on several occasions, actually. I knew I would have ended up killing her. Whether by accident or intentional. That's why I sent him in. Besides I'm sure Annie _clearly_ remember Saitama from their previous encounter. Maybe it'll send some fear into her." Levi looked at the half-empty cup of black tea that stood in front of him, almost begging him to finish it. He shook his head and continued. "But now that one of our threats is locked behind bars all we have to do is find out if there are any others like her. We know there's Eren, and there's also the Armored Titan and Colossal Titan we have to worry about. If one of those two were to return we'd be in for some trouble."

"But we have Saitama," Gunther piped in, cracking his knuckles. "You saw what he did to those Titans chasing after us. I say let those Titans reappear! I'm sure they'll be dealt with accordingly." He smirked.

Levi shot Gunther a glare before replying. "We cannot rely on Saitama to take care of all of our problems. We've been fighting Titans for as long as we can remember. Even though we have gained an ally that has proven to be useful time after time again, we cannot let our guard down. What if something happens while Saitama is unavailable? Do you think he'll be able to simply appear out of thin air and take care of all our problems? No. He's human—strong, but still human."

"Last time I checked humans were not as strong as Titans." Gunther retorted. "I get what you mean, Captain, but still… Saitama can-."

"Saitama, Saitama, Saitama," Olou repeated in a high pitched voice, holding his hands to his chest as if he was flustered. "Why is it always about Saitama?!" he exclaimed, slamming his fist on the table he and the rest of the Special Operations Squad were seated at. "For too many day I've heard nothing but praise for this guy. Are we seriously forgetting the hardships we've gone through for so many years? I mean soldiers died for crying out loud!" he looked at Petra, pointing an accusing finger at her. "And I don't know what your deal is, but you have been spending an awful lot of time with him, that's for sure!"

"So? Is that a problem?" Petra retorted, crossing her arms. "Once you get to know him you discover there's more to him that meets the eye."

"More than meets the eye? Petra can you even hear yourself talk? You're talking like he's one of us for crying out loud! He doesn't even know our hand signals, nor do I expect him to considering he has the attention span of a fly!"

"Can both of you please take this conversation outside?" Eld asked, clearly irritated at the constant arguing between two of his companions, which was interrupting his reading time.

"No, you know what, I'm going to want to hear Olou's lame excuse for his distaste of Saitama." Petra said, looking at Olou. "So go right ahead, Olou. You can tell me all of it and I'll listen. No interruptions, no retorts or remarks. I'll be quiet and you'll talk."

"Captain… are you just going to allow this to happen?" Eld asked, looking up from the book he was reading.

"If it'll make them shut up." Levi shrugged.

Eld sighed before continuing to read his book again. But secretly he was listening to the arguments Olou was about to say.

"Well," Olou started. "He's always around when he shouldn't be. He literally got to meet Commander Erwin and so many other upper-class military officers in a time-span of literal days. He interrupted a court and didn't even get punished for it. He dislocated Captain Levi's shoulder and didn't even get a slap back for it. Let's not forget about the fact that everyone seems to adore the guy, even though he clearly has no clue as to what's going on. And there's also the fact that… well, there are just so many other things going inside my head and I can't name all of them, okay? I just… when I got home to my family I… I just didn't know what to tell them." Olou sighed, rubbing his temples while doing so.

"Is that it?" Petra asked, raising an eyebrow. "I've known you for quite some time now, Olou. There's something else to all of this, isn't there?" Petra asked.

"I have no ulterior motives." Olou snorted, huffing while looking away from Petra.

"Olou." Petra said, moving closer to him. "Are you sure?" she inquired.

Olou sighed and slowly turned his head to Petra, staring into her eyes. "Just don't tell anyone, okay?" he said, sighing inwardly when Petra nodded her head. "When I arrived home, hours after we had our drinks and returned from the expedition my mother and father were overjoyed when they saw me. We hugged and talked and I told them what had happened. Then my little brothers arrived and started asking questions too, which I was happy to answer. I liked talking about the expedition. My little brothers would always ask me how many Titans I had slain today. But this time was different. Instead of asking me how it went the first thing my little brother asked me was if I got to see the caped man in action." He closed his eyes before continuing. "It was like they didn't even take into consideration the fact I could have died out there. All they asked was who the caped man was and how strong he was."

Petra shook her head slightly, chuckling before playfully punching Olou in his shoulder. "Olou, a-are you jealous?" she asked, chuckling even louder when Olou looked flustered and looked away.

"I'm not." Olou replied, crossing his arms. "All I'm saying is I feel kind of disappointed."

"Olou," Petra began, placing a comforting hand on Olou's shoulder before continuing. "There's no need to be disappointed. Look at it this way; your brothers didn't ask you how it went because you've been on so many expeditions. You've killed more Titans than any of us. You're one of the most skilled fighters out there. You might not be Saitama, but you _are_ Olou. You're part of the most elite squad in the regiment."

"Yeah," Olou said smugly. "I am."

Petra let out a sigh before turning to Captain Levi. "Captain please do me a favor and-."

Petra was cut off by a door opening. The Levi Squad, curious as to who would be so blunt and straightforward to not even consider knocking before entering, turned their heads to the doorway only to see Armin standing there, panting heavily as he stared at them with widened eyes.

"Armin," Eld said, standing up. "What's going on? You look like you've just ran a marathon." He said.

"T-There's a situation that needs your full attention. The Female Titan is running rampant through the city!" Armin replied, pointing a finger at the doorway. "The MP is trying to fend it off—well the ones who aren't running for their lives! The rest of the Survey Corps is still within Trost! The only ones left within the Walls are you, Commander Erwin, squad leader Mike, squad leader Hanji, Eren, Mikasa, and I!"

The room went silent for a good ten seconds. It was like something had just hit all of them with a strength that could match that of Saitama. The silence lasted for what seemed like minutes until Levi spoke up.

"Gather the troops. Eld, Gunther, send a message to the rest of our men and tell them to get here as soon as possible. I know it'll take time, so I expect efficiency. Petra, Olou, you're with me." Levi said, getting off his chair. "Gather your equipment and get ready to move out. Armin, go outside and alert the Commander. Where are Eren and Mikasa?"

"Outside this building. Eren's not too sure what happened either." Armin replied.

"Send me Eren. You take Mikasa with you. Do not let her or Eren engage the Female Titan unless I order them to. Last time Saitama was with me, and we're going to need his help." Levi said, putting on his 3DMG.

"Sir," Armin gulped, shaking his head furiously. "I do not know if it's true, but when I watched people flee from the scene I overheard a few of them scream that the "caped man" was killed by the Female Titan. Stomped into the ground and didn't get up." he looked at Levi with a fearful expression, tears forming in his eyes. "I can go and look for him if-."

"No." Levi cut him off, holding his head. "Our main focus is the Female Titan. Do as I ordered you to. All of you. No heroics. Stick together and we'll make it through this with minimal damage."

"Sir, yes sir!" everyone replied, saluting their Captain.

As everyone started putting on their gear, Armin took this opportunity to run outside the building he was in and meet up with Eren and Mikasa. The Female Titan—Annie was inside the Wall. She was probably going to search for Eren and would not stop until she got to him. Luckily Eren could do a number on her with his Titan form, and the Levi Squad was also here. Annie would have a hard time getting to Eren. But still… the things those people shouted, could it all be true? Was Saitama really killed? It couldn't be true. Saitama had faced off against her before and defeated her with little to no effort—at least that's how the story went. So how could he be defeated by the same Titan _he_ defeated a day before. Shaking that thought out of his head, Armin reached his two friends and spoke up.

"Armin." Eren said, grabbing the young man by his shoulders. "So what's the plan?"

"I… Captain Levi wants us to split up. He's coming up here in a second and has ordered me and Mikasa to go and find Commander Erwin and inform him of the situation at hand. Eren you are to stay here and wait for Captain Levi to come out. He'll inform you of the rest of the plan."

"I'm not leaving Eren behind." Mikasa said.

"But the Captain ordered-."

"I don't care!" Mikasa cut Armin off.

"Mikasa. Do as the Captain orders you to do and go with him." Eren replied, looking at her with determined eyes. "I'll be safe. I promise. I've got Captain Levi behind me. I'll be safe."

Mikasa's reply was a quick hug to Eren followed up by her shooting one of her 3DMG cables at a nearby building. "I promised I'd keep you safe. I'll make this quick. Eren, stay out of danger until I get back. Armin, let's go."

"Right!" Armin replied, shooting his own cables at the same building Mikasa had shot hers. "Eren, be safe."

Eren's eyes, filled with determination, nodded his head and watched as his two closest friends—ones whom he considered family, left to fulfil their duty. They would succeed, he was sure of it.

But would he? He hadn't fought against the Female Titan and was unaware of its abilities. The one who defeated her was Saitama, and he is supposedly killed. Eren gritted his teeth in anger. He had so much to ask that man. So much things the two of them could have accomplished! That was all ruined by the Female Titan. By Annie Leonhart. She would pay deeply for this, one way or another. What could be worth all this death and destruction? Eren looked up at the sky and inhaled deeply before looking down at his hand. Should he? Should he transform and rush to kill Annie once and for all? Opening his mouth he slowly brought his hand to it and prepared to-.

"Don't even think about it." a voice said from behind him.

Eren froze and slowly turned his head towards the source of the voice and saw that it was Eld who stood behind him, arms crossed and gaze fixed upon him. "Eld… I wasn't."

"The brat was done thinking." Levi suddenly chimed in, placing a firm hand on Eren's shoulder. "You'll get your shot. Just not now." He turned to his comrades before saying. "Eld, Gunther, move out."

The two soldiers nodded their heads before they too took off, ready to execute phase one of Levi's plan. A plan which the Captain came up with in literally two minutes, mind you. This just goes to show one must never underestimate the Survey Corps and its soldiers. Eren sighed, looking at the three remaining teammates of the Special Operations Squad. Levi, Petra and Olou were all combat ready and didn't show the slightest of fear.

"Alright, let's get into position. Eren, you're phase two of the plan." Levi said. "The Female Titan is here for a reason: to find and capture you. We're going to have to create a diversion, lead her into an area where there are not many people but enough buildings to maneuver. I'm thinking the Wall. Specifically the wall that leads into the second district. There she won't be able to escape." He turned to Petra and Olou. "The three of us should be able to take her out. Watch out for her hardening abilities. I've seen them in action and while Sait-." Levi stopped himself, cursing underneath his breath before continuing. "While a certain someone was able to break through it, I'm afraid out blades won't do much damage. Petra, Olou, I'm asking a lot here. I expect you to be precise, however. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal, sir." Olou replied.

"Consider her dead, Captain." Petra added.

"Good." Levi said. "Now Eren, you're going to be important too. You are going to be the most important asset of this strategy."

"And what might that be, sir?" Eren asked.

"Bait." Levi replied.

 **A/N**

 **So it's been quite some time, huh? I cannot express how sorry I am for not updating for a very long time. I had some important school stuff that needed my attention. Specifically an internship in a hospital where I was met with more death than a eighteen year old should handle. I'm feeling good, however. Now I must admit that I have been working on another Fanfiction called Tenders of Remnant. I'm really invested in that since I just really enjoy writing it, and I feel like if you guys like this story, you'll like that one too. It's something I have been working on for quite some time too. Anyways, that aside I do feel extremely happy to see that my story has been rising in popularity so much. I cannot believe the amount of followers and favorites I have gained so far. I am really happy to see so many people are enjoying reading this as much as I am enjoying writing it It brings a smile to my face. Anyways I hope you all enjoyed this chapter I do sincerely hope you might give Tenders of Remnant a shot too. As always be sure to R &R and I will see you in the next chapter.**

 **~Soulwars1998**


	15. Chapter 15

It had been a long and tiresome day for the members of the Survey Corps. After the successful expedition and capture of the female Titan everyone was overjoyed at the fact they were going to be able to spend two whole days within the interior of Wall Sina. Many of the rich nobles in Wall Sina often looked down upon the "lower class" citizens form the exterior walls. Even when they heard about the Titan shifter: Eren Yeager and his shifting abilities they only thought of the worst possible outcome.

 _Titans within their walls, ready to devour all of them without regret or remorse…_

"Everyone evacuate into the lower levels of the wall! That is the safest spot to be right now!" Instructed a MP Officer, who looked just as frightened as the citizens he was literally ordering to get to safety. _'Damnit, damn it all to hell!'_ he thought to himself as he heard the screams of terror run through his mind over and over again. Mere minutes ago he had witnessed a family of five crushed by a piece of concrete—presumably from one of the houses the Female Titan had destroyed.

Speaking of the Female Titan. She was still running rampant through the city, destroying buildings and fending off dozens of soldiers—often if not anytime killing all who stood in her way. The MP Officer turned to the recently graduated trainee squad he had been ordered to keep an eye on. "Everyone." He began, swallowing his fear. "F-Four of you will go with these people and protect them with your lives! The remaining two of you will follow me! We're going to find the Captain and regroup with the main force!" he ordered. "Zach, Friede, you to follow me! You wanted action, now you're getting a good dose of it! Move out!" he ordered.

The two graduates in question, Zach and Friede, looked at their comrades before nodding to themselves and using the 3DMG to reel themselves upward and propel into the direction their commanding officer was heading. They took one last glance back at their friends, who had already begun escorting the group of citizens to the lower levels. Friede sighed, and Zach could only join her and shook his head.

"Can you believe it?" Zach asked. "A Titan. Here, in our city. What are the odds, right?"

"I wonder what it looks like." Friede wondered. "I've heard some rumors, but that's all. They say this Titan is a… what they call it, an abnormal?" she asked herself. "Well as long as we follow the sergeant we should be fine, right?" she asked Zach, only to get no response from the boy. She turned to look at him, only to see him staring at the ground below them like he had just seen a ghost. Friede in turn looked down as well, wanting to know what got Zach so spooked.

Needless to say she shouldn't have looked at all. A giant hand reached out for her, and before she could recover from the initial shock, she was grabbed and crushed. He ribs, legs, and partially any bone which was engulfed in the Female Titan's hand snapped and cracked underneath the sheer force of power. The Female Titan released the poor girl, letting her broken body tumble to the ground.

And then she turned her attention to the other graduate, who had already begun to increase his speed by using up more gas than he should. He had reached his sergeant within literal seconds and looked at him with a terrified expression. "Friede is dead, sir!" he said, turning his head back. "And the Female Titan is right on us! If we don't increase our speed then we'll be killed!"

"Why the hell isn't it eating anyone?" the sergeant yelled, gritting his teeth. "This all doesn't make any sense! And where is the damn Survey Corps when you need them the most?! These guys specialize in killing Titans! Where the hell are-."

The sergeant stopped himself mid-sentence when four figures flew past them with incredible maneuverability and speed. Time seemed to slow down for the two MP soldiers as the figures' backs were completely exposed to them, giving them a good view of the insignia that was proudly printed on the back of it.

"The Wings of Freedom." The sergeant breathed out, landing on the roof of a broken down building. "It's the Survey Corps!" he exclaimed, turning his head to his subordinate who had landed safely beside him. "But why only four of them?" he wondered. He shook his head, turning around and shooting his cable to another building's wall, successfully attaching them. "Let them handle this! Retreat for now so we can meet up with the main defense force and take out that oversized whore once and for all!"

"Roger!" Zach replied, following his sergeant's example. "Good luck you four!" he shouted.

As the two MP soldiers fled the scene, leaving the situation in more capable hands, the four Survey Corps soldiers surrounded he Female Titan, standing on separate buildings and glaring daggers at them underneath their hoods. They all looked at one another and nodded. Jumping off their respective buildings, they shot their cables at the Titan's body and reeled themselves towards her… said for one soldier. With three individual skilled 3DMG users attacking her from each side; the Female Titan had no time to harden all her skin at the right moment to successfully repel all three of her attackers. So she would try a different tactic. She jumped up and spun her body around in midair, hoping to catch all three solider off guard and dispose of them afterwards.

Unfortunately for dear little Annie she did not expect the soldiers to retract their cables and propel themselves upward, reaching her face—but worse of all, her nape. Eyes widening, Annie held one of her hands to her neck and the other tried to desperately reach for one of the soldiers. Said soldier shot his cables at a church standing behind her and reel himself towards to it. Annie turned her attention to the soldier, but felt herself lose balance all of a sudden. She looked down, hand still secure around the back of her neck, and saw that one of her weak-spots had been compromised and cut. She held her balance, though, and slammed her fist down on the ground, sending a barrage of concrete and dirt flying upwards, severely crippling the line of free maneuverability the soldiers had.

She noticed from the corner of her eye that one soldier was trying to make a run for her other leg. She was about to stomp down on him, until the soldier was called back.

"Eren, stay back! We'll handle this! We cannot afford you to get captured!" one of the soldiers shouted.

The soldier who had tried to cut Annie's leg complied and used his gas to turn himself around. He then made a run for a building far away from the battleground. Annie's expression turned into one of anger as she ran after the solider, the cut on her leg already having regenerated to certain amount that would make it somewhat easier to run until it was fully healed. They had made a foolish mistake of calling out Eren's name so loud and open. Now she knew who to chase. She had already begun to catch up with said solider and extended her arm, reaching out for the young Yeager with hopes of finally completing her mission. It was then that two of the three soldiers who were with Eren appeared right in front of her and released a cloud of hot gas, blinding Annie's vision and making her stop dead in her tracks.

"Eren, make a left now!" one of the soldiers ordered.

The gas disappeared soon after, and Annie was able to see again. She instantly turned her head left and spotted Eren trying to escape to the inner wall, probably to get away from her as fast as possible. She started running after him, ignoring the three soldiers who were right on her tail, not wanting to let her escape. Annie had her eyes focused on Yeager when all of a sudden he stopped and turned around, shooting his cable at her face and reeling himself forward. Annie kept on running and quickly reached for the cables, only for them to be retracted at just the right moment and fired at her legs instead. Eren came at her with such speed she had not seen him perform in his training days as a cadet. Eren successfully made his way under her and slashed away at both of her legs, sending her tumbling to the ground as she had not stopped running.

Annie fell face-first into the concrete and into some unfortunate residences of already evacuated civilians. She hardened the skin around her neck as she quickly rolled backwards, her legs still partially under her control, although she could not get up yet. Damn, who would have thought that having Eren spend so much time with the Survey Corps would increase is skills with the 3DMG so greatly. And had he grown as well? It had been a long time since she had last seen him.

"Eren, don't make reckless decisions and fall back!" Annie heard one of the soldiers scold Eren. She could not see which, since she was too focused on keeping her nape safe and concentrating her energy on her legs in order for them to heal quicker.

"She deserves to die for what she did to those who perished yesterday!" Eren retorted.

Annie felt her armpits getting sliced open by two individual soldiers. Great, now she had two things to worry about. She opened her eyes and saw one of the soldiers pass over her. She gathered her strength and held her hand up and closed it, successfully catching one of the soldiers within her grasp.

"Eren, no! Damn it!" she heard one of the soldiers exclaim.

Annie smirked. She had done it, she had caught Eren Yeager—albeit it be by sheer luck. Her legs having regenerated enough for her to make a short sprint, she quickly got off the ground and started running towards the wall. There was only one way she was going to be able to get out of here alive and that was to climb that damn wall. And with Eren in her hand she knew the Scouts weren't going to risk attacking her. She would place Eren inside her mouth and climb the wall. Then she would escape and get back to her hometown. Everything was finally coming together. She looked forward to seeing the faces of her two partners in crime when she would return with their prized possession.

 _"Tch."_ She heard Eren mutter from her hand.

Since when did Eren do that?

Annie's thoughts were cut off by a pair of sharp blades cutting through all of her fingers, sending them flying in all directions in small pieces as her grip around Eren seized to exist. She looked down at her hand, only for her to see someone standing in it with his hood removed and his face revealed. His eyes were calm, yet deadly. His posture small yet intimidating.

"I don't know how you got passed Saitama, but I'll make sure he won't get here before I cut off your arms and legs—and before you start thinking, yes, I _am_ talking about your real ones."

Captain Levi…

What the hell was he out of all people doing in her hands?! Eren should be there, not him! She heard them call out to him and she knew who to follow every time. Unless… unless their orders to Eren were intentional. And the "Eren" she had been chasing was not Eren at all. It made sense now that she thought of it. All of them had kept their hood on, preventing her from knowing who she was actually fighting. Although she made out one famine sounding voice, the other two either remained silent since they had not said a word to Eren. Also instead of going for her neck every time she left it exposed they went for her legs instead. Then there was the gas trick they pulled on her. It all mad sense. If they wanted to keep Eren so safe they would have never let him near her, let alone call him out by name! How could she have been so blind?

"Looks like you're too shocked to make a move," Levi said, shooting his cables at her face. "I'll make it for you, then." He reeled himself forward and dug his blades deep in Annie's eyes, disabling her sight for a good few minutes. Levi pushed himself off Annie's face and descended towards a nearby building. Using his gas to break his fall, he looked up at Annie with a glare and saw that she had already moved her hands behind her head again, protecting het nape.

"Even though Saitama is absent." Levi began, attaching his cables to Annie's right arm. "I will simply have to keep cutting until I render your every muscle useless." He said, reeling himself forward with inhuman speed and slashing away at Annie's arm. He propelled himself upward, hovering above Annie when he noticed three figures heading for her too. "Petra, Olou." He said, motioning to his legs.

Petra and Olou, understanding what their Captain was ordering them, instantly focused their attention to Annie's legs and attacked them simultaneously, cutting through her flesh as if it were butter. With the combines force of their skills and Levi's skills they would be able to take out the Female Titan with little effort. They would secure this victory for humanity once and for all!

Although one question remained… what had happened to the one who people though would secure humanity's ultimate victory? What had happened to Saitama? Could he have been… killed? No. Petra refused to believe it! She knew Saitama and he would not have gotten himself killed by Annie or any sort of falling debris! He would punch himself out of trouble and he would not be defeated. Saitama was their hero, the one they all looked up to in a way even though they just got to know him. Although he was dense and oblivious at times, he had a heart of pure gold.

"Petra stay focused!" Olou said, flying past her. "I know that look. You're worried about something. Well suck it up and focus on the mission, damnit. If he take this bitch out now who knows what secrets she might reveal!" he said, slashing at Annie's legs again, only for them to harden, resulting in Olou breaking his blades. "W-What the hell was that?!" he questioned, looking at his broken blades. "No one told me she could do that!"

"Looks like she's trying to maintain balance!" Petra added, glaring at her. "Captain, orders!" she shouted.

Levi looked down at his squad mates, shaking his head and letting out a 'tch' of annoyance. "Increase your speed. Use up all of your gad if you have to. Just make sure she falls down!" he replied, propelling himself towards Annie's arms again.

"Increase our speed? But if we go any faster then… only the Captain himself knows this technique. I'm not on the same level as him." Petra muttered to herself, looking at Olou, who looked just as surprised as she did. "Olou, are you ready?" she asked him.

Olou looked at Petra, sweat dripping down his forehead. This was going to be a dangerous move. Only Captain Levi mastered the 3DMG to such an extent that he did not even need buildings or tree to maneuver himself. He reluctantly nodded his head and drew a new set of blades. "Go for the right leg, I will go for the left. This has to be swift and precise! Double slashes only, and make sure to cut deep! I want to hear her bones crack!"

Petra nodded her head and attached her cables to Annie's right leg.

Eren watched the fight between his squad mates and Annie unfold from a safe distance. He could not believe what he was seeing. The central market square that was bustling with people mere minutes before the attack had been reduced to a pile of rubble, death and gore. He gritted his teeth. If only he was allowed to transform! Then he could defeat her together with the Levi squad.

"Stick to the plan." Eren told himself, taking in a deep breath. "When her legs are disabled I will transform and pin her to the ground and remove her arms from her body so Captain Levi can go for her nape."

Speaking of Captain Levi, he was currently turning Annie into minced meat with every slash at her arms. Could this be the end of Annie Leonhart? Eren wasn't sure why, but he wanted to at least know Annie's motives before she was taken into custody again. What could possibly be worth all this death and destruction?

It was then that Eren's eyes widened in shock he she saw Olou lose his balance and fall to the ground. Why was he going so fast all of a sudden? Olou rolled a few meters, the cable around his 3DMG damaged and preventing him from making long-term jumps. It would work, but it needed repairs quickly. Eren wanted to move from his spot and help him, but when Levi's orders echoed through his mind he stopped dead in his tracks.

" _Eren, you're the bait, but not as you might think. We're going to distract Annie by using the same tactic we used on the expedition. However this time there'll only be four of us. We'll have to be quick and our teamwork has to be precise. One little mess-up and we'll all be in trouble—or rather, you will be in trouble, brat. Should Annie capture you… there is no telling what she'll do."_

Eren shook his head, trying to shake out the thought of being captured by Annie. He looked at the battle that was still unfolding in all its glory. Blood splattered everywhere, gas used to an extent that Eren had never seen before. Levi seemed to be in his own world, only focusing on the task at hand as if knowing exactly what to do at every moment. It almost seemed inhuman. But still Eren couldn't help but wonder where Levi got his strength, his skill.

"Olou, on your right!" Eren heard Petra yell. He turned his attention to Olou and saw that he had almost run out of gas, since he was beginning to slow down. He waved at Olou. "Get over here and use my gas!" He yelled. "You need it more than I do! QUICKLY!" he shouted.

Olou looked at Eren and saw him flapping his arms around like some crazy person. "Must be the Titan genes or something." He said, ducking underneath Annie's foot that nearly slammed down on him. He smirked and got ready to deliver the final blow to her leg until he felt himself suddenly stop midair. He looked at his gas containers and clicked the mechanism to release the gas but quickly realized he was now in a whole lot of trouble.

His gas had completely run out.

Crap.

Olou felt to he ground and landed hard on his back. Rolling a few meters away again he came to a halt and slowly pushed himself up. His 3DMG was now rendered completely useless, and he now stood a mere meters away from the Female Titan. Said Titan suddenly opened one of her eyes, the blade that was inserted in one of them having probably been vaporized and destroyed. Olou stared at her in shock when she suddenly started limping towards him. He was completely frozen in place and could only keep on staring as she closed in on him.

 _'Crap.'_ He thought to himself. _'Is this where it all ends? Even with Captain Levi on my side I still die today?'_

"Olou!" Petra shouted, hovering towards him. "Get the hell out of there, now!"

Olou looked up at Petra, and saw that Levi had already begun to follow after Annie and with one last and swift cut completely disabled both of her arms, making the fall to her side. That did not stop her from running, though. Petra increased her speed, using up the last remainder of gas she had left to reach Olou and literally dive into him, sending him tumbling backwards. Now Petra stood in the same predicament Olou found himself in. The Female Titan jumped upwards and landed mere inches in front of Petra. The shockwave of the blast send her flying into a nearby building, and an audible crack could be hear echoing through the area. Olou was also send flying, but he fortunately landed in a cart full of cabbages.

When the dust settled Petra lay there, unconscious and bleeding out of her head and left leg. Olou's mouth hung wide open as he stuttered to call out to her. "P-Petra." He said. "No, t-this can't be. Petra. Petra! PETRA!"

Levi could only stare at Petra's motionless body. He gripped his blades tightly and glared daggers at Annie. If looks could kill then he would have died right there. Levi watched as Olou ran towards Petra and knelt down beside her, holding his cheek to her mouth.

"She's still breathing, Captain!" he exclaimed.

That made Levi stop dead in his tracks. She was still alive. That was a relief. He inwardly sighed, but regretted taking his attention off the Female Titan since she had already begun to run towards Olou and Petra. He needed to get them to safety. They had no ways of protecting themselves! Both their 3DMG's were damaged beyond repair! Now Levi found himself in a predicament. He needed to stop Annie from advancing, disable her legs and prevent her from ever getting up again! He started to aim for her legs, ready to disable them for good when he heard a loud thumping in the distance, slowly getting louder and louder as if something was making his way over to him. He turned his attention towards the source of the sound and his eyes widened.

Eren, in his Titan form, roared as he punched Annie on the left side of her check, sending her flying into several buildings. Eren roared again, running towards her. Eyes filled with hatred.

"Yeager, what the hell do you think you're doing?!" Levi asked, hovering beside him. He felt himself slowing down a bit. Crap, was she running out of gas too? He attached his cabled to Eren's back and reeled himself forward, landing safely on the side of his head. "I know you're pissed, but Petra is okay. You hear me: She's okay." He said.

Eren ignored him, as if he wasn't even there at all. He leaped towards Annie again but was kicked backwards by Annie's foot colliding with his stomach. Eren stumbled backwards, landing on his back. Levi has safely jumped off Eren. Crap. Damn. And whatever curse words could be said Levi would have gladly said them. He was almost out of gas, because of the long trip it took them to get here. And now this. Eren was going completely berserk on Annie.

"No sign of Erwin or the reinforcements." He muttered to himself, looking around him. He watched as Olou came running towards him, carrying Petra on his back. "What are you doing, idiot?!" Levi asked.

"I can't just leave her like that. Captain we have to retreat! We did our part and now it is Eren's turn. Her arms are disabled and her legs are all but crippled. Please just get Petra to safety! I'll walk myself to a safe spot if I have to. Just make sure she's safe." he said, looking at Petra. "I won't allow it. I won't lose her. None of us will." He said, turning around and glaring at Annie. "And where the hell is that freaking baldy when you need him the most?! Where the hell is Saitama? Where is our hero?!" he shouted.

Levi wanted to smack him right then and there, make him shut up and regain his posture. But in all honesty this mission had taken a turn for the worst. One of his squad mates had been wounded, and the other had no way to defend himself. He himself had almost no gas left. Perhaps enough for two more attacks that could deal some damage to Annie. If he could only get a good hit on her neck without her hardening it.

"Captain Levi, sir!" a voice called out to the Captain.

Levi turned his head. "Arlert? Ackerman?" he questioned. He watched as the two soldiers made their way over to him, followed by a group of easily forty other scouts including Hanji and Erwin respectively. He nodded his head, turning around and looking at the two fighting shifters. Mikasa and Armin landed beside him and stared at the scene with wide eyes.

"Is Eren winning?" Armin asked.

"Depends on your point of view. Eren's lost control again and he's not listening to my orders." He looked at Armin and handed him his nearly empty gas containers. "Refill mine with yours." He said, crossing his arms. "I'm going to cut them both out. I don't care if they lose a limb or two. They'll just regrow anyways."

Mikasa glared at him.

"Look out, incoming flying shifter!" shouted Hanji, getting their attention and successfully warning all of them to jump away at the right time. Levi had grabbed Petra, and Armin and Mikasa had grabbed Olou, much to his displeasure. They watched as Eren slowly got off the concrete, looking at his steaming hand.

Annie slowly mover her arms again and balled her hands into fists. Looks like her regenerating powers were indeed far more supreme than those of Eren. Eren looked at her and balled his other hand into a fist and ran towards her. Annie, copying this move, also ran towards him with a balled fist. The two of them reeled their arms back and prepared to punch one another. Just as their fists connected, sending a shockwave through the market square.

The Survey Corp's members all stared at the scene in shock, until both Eren and Annie were sent flying backwards. They landed into several buildings and had trouble getting up, it felt like they had been hit by a freaking boulder!

"Could you two stop fighting? When has fighting ever solved anything?" questioned a monotone sounding voice as a figure landed in the middle of the market square. "Now," he said, dusting his suit of with his red cleaning gloves. "Annie you and I are going to have a serious talk about respecting your elders. That stunt you pulled was no fair. I had rocks in places I never thought they could get."

Annie stared at the man in front of her and her eyes widened in fear. Crap, looks like she hadn't stomped hard enough after all.

 **A/N:**

 **Back people! Thought I'd give you all a little present. Speaking of presents… it was my birthday two days ago! Yep, this guy just turned nineteen years old! God how the time flies by. Anyways, I want to thank everyone who has followed and favorite the story over the last couple of months. Seriously, you guys are awesome! Also, don't forget to check out Tenders of Remnant, the RWBY story keep mentioning. Also, make sure to leave your thoughts about this chapter by leaving a review! Thanks in advance everyone!**

 **~Soulwars1998**


	16. Chapter 16

Silence. Complete and utter silence. Unexpected, albeit not unwelcome. A silence before the storm you could say. When the two shifters had begun their battle, ravaging the interior of wall Sina and destroying many buildings in the process, they never expected a single human being to make them go dead-silent and stand still. That is if you could even consider said human being a human being. His power was unmatched, limitless. Human beings were absolute predators, and if an even stranger being—an being that would become their predator would suddenly appear they would adapt, learn its weaknesses, and kill it. Just look at the Titans. Humanity might be on the brink of extinction, but they have killed more Titans than they would have done hundred years ago.

But now with a new means of victory on their side, something they had presumed to be lost mere minutes ago, they could finally turn the tide and defeat the demons knocking at their door.

"Well look who decided to show up." Levi said, crossing his arms and letting out a soft breath of what strangers could only note was relief. In actuality it was indeed relief. Saitama was still alive and kicking. Speaking of kicking. "Oi, baldy, make sure you actually finish her off!" Levi shouted at Saitama, who was standing between two fifteen-meter class Titan shifters ready to continue their fight at any moment.

"Captain." Armin began. "We should concentrate our force to take out Annie. With our combined attacks she shouldn't be able to take us all out. If we can get Eren to come to his senses we can have him pin her down so we can cut her out-."

"Arlert." Levi cut him off, shifting his gaze towards him. "Obviously you seem to have forgotten who is standing between those two. We're talking about a man who defies all logic and common sense. He doesn't need our help." Levi turned around and addressed his troops. "Everyone stay clear of the area. Let Saitama handle them while we concentrate on finding any survivors."

Olou came walking towards his Captain, his hands covered in the blood of Petra. "Sir, Petra's condition isn't getting any better. We need to get her to a field hospital right away. She had broken ribs and at least a heavy concussion. My gear is broken... but yours isn't. Captain please take her to a doctor. I... I don't want to lose her, sir." He looked down at the floor and balled his hand into fists. "If only I had been faster then I could have done something to stop her from getting hurt. If only I hadn't been so clumsy she would have still been unharmed."

"And you would have been dead." Levi retorted, shaking his head slightly before patting the man on his shoulder. "You did good out there, but now I need you to do better. Get yourself to safety, take a ride on Hanji's back for all I care." A quick glare at Hanji made her think twice before speaking out for herself. "Arlert, Ackerman take Petra to a hospital right away. I will stay behind to... observe."

'You mean double-team Annie again.' Mikasa thought, glancing back to see Saitama looking up at Eren. 'Do me a favor and take her down for good, Eren. I don't care how you do it and I don't care who does it," she focused her attention on Saitama. "Just take her down once and for all. Make her pay for all that she has done to us—to humanity.' She closed her eyes and let out a sigh of mild annoyance. "Looks like I'm having to depend on that bald pervert from keeping Eren safe." She looked at Armin, who could only look back at her with determined filled eyes.

"He won't fail us. They both won't." Armin reencouraged, holding Mikasa's hands into his own. "Come on, we have to get her to a doctor right away." He said, moving over to Petra who was being looked over by two soldiers. "Okay just... put her on my back and—Mikasa, what are you doing?!"

Armin stared at Mikasa in shock when she picked up Petra and in one swift movement placed her on her back. Folding the girl's arms in a cross in front of her neck, Mikasa made sure she was strapped on safely before taking off, Armin following her seconds later. The rest of the Survey Corps soldiers all stared at the scene that was about to unfold before their very eyes. A human versus a Titan. Man, versus demon.

No. **God** versus demon.

"Everyone move out!" Hanji said, picking up Olou and haunching him over her shoulder, much to his displeasure. "We search for wounded right away! We created this mess so we'll be the ones to clean it up... well, at least until the MP gets of their lazy asses and does some work! Now let's move out and split up in four groups!" She ordered. Her orders were received by a chorus of 'sir, yes sirs' before the remaining members of the Survey Corps took off. Now it was only Levi left to observe the battle for himself. He only took a small portion of gas from Arlert, not wanting the new recruit to be left without any form of escape should Annie have come after him. As for blades he had only two pairs left, so four in total. That should make do.

"Okay you two, come out of your Titan form and let's have a nice talk. We don't have to fight." Saitama instructed, holding out his hands in front of his chest. "A lot of buildings were damaged after you two started fight-."

Before he could even finish his sentence, Saitama was grabbed by Annie and thrown into a destroyed building. Annie, not wasting any time ran after him and started kicking the rubble several times before slamming her foot down once more, hoping this would have done the trick. If one stomp wasn't enough, she would just have to stomp more. Annie smirked, satisfied with her work. She turned around to face Eren, who had already got into an offensive stance, ready to take her on. Annie got into a stance of her own, but was suddenly swept of her feet by a red boot colliding with one of her legs, sending her tumbling to the floor. Said floor crumbled and Annie was now on her back. She took one glance at her leg and saw that the joint of her hip was completely dislocated. That would take a few minutes to heal. Trying to push herself up, Annie was sent flying backwards into a set of houses by a fist the size of a wrecking ball colliding with her face.

Of course, Eren Yeager. How could she forgot the naïve boy who knew of nothing of the power he held. Slowly pushing herself up, Annie looked down at her hip and aw that it had begun to heal, albeit slowly. She concentrated all of her energy on the dislocated bone, hoping it would heal before Eren got the chance to take her out. But before she could even stand straight, a fist collides with her chest and sent her flying upwards. The force if the impact made Annie close her eyes for a brief moment, but when she opened them again; she noticed the sun had become a lot bigger than usual. Also, why was she weightless all of a sudden? Looking down her eyes widened in shock when she realized she was now hovering midair, possible two hundred meters above the ground. She could see the city so clearly now. Even the walls... it looked absolutely stunning. Was this how birds view the from the sky? Was this their everyday view?

Were it not for the fact she was about to fall said two hundred meters down, she would have gladly stayed up here for a few more minutes. She looked down and watched a flock of birds pass her/ She smiled a bit.

"Quite the sight, isn't it?" Asked a voice.

She looked to her right and wasn't as shocked as she initially thought she would be. There was S Saitama, arms crossed and looking up at the sun with a calm expression on his face. She nodded in agreement.

"Can't we just stop fighting? I don't mean to brag but we both know how this is going to end. You did some pretty bad stuff today, and you did some pretty bad stuff yesterday. Heck, who knows how much bad stuff you have done. But if you could just come out of that Titan body of yours we can get this over with." Saitama said, closing his eyes. "Unless you want to have a chat with Levi after I take you out of your body.

Annie realized she was now beginning to descend to the ground. The impact should immobilize her for a good few minutes if it did not kill her. Was this the end of her mission? Eren was still in his Titan form down at the surface. Plus, Levi was down there too, and he didn't seem all that happy. Especially considering the fact she probably mortally wounded one of his squad mates. There were only two options she could come up with. One: fight, knowing it will do no good and get taken out by Saitama with just one punch. Or two: surrender and hope for a quick death. Her mission was a failure, that she realized the moment Saitama entered the scene. It angered her how quick the tie had changed into the favor of the demons that lived on this island. She was told they were nothing more than that, demons. Well if they were the demons, then the man beside her had to be the devil himself. It was going so well up until the point he appeared seemingly out of thin air and decided to aid these... these devil spawns.

Her anger subdued after a few moments, Annie got out her Titan body, the upper half of her body appearing out of the nape of her Titan form. "You win... but I will not betray the people from my hometown! I'd rather die than to live one more day in a world where you exist!" She shouted at him. Launching herself at the bald man, she reeled her fist backward and screamed as loud as she could, releasing all of her emotions, her anger, her fear, and yes, even her guilt into this one final attack. Her fist collided with Saitama's face and his eyes widened for a moment before closing. Did she knock him out? Perhaps there was still a small chance she could win this...

But now she had another problem. She would hit the ground in a matter of seconds, and it wouldn't be pretty. She braved herself and hoped her Titan abilities would even regenerate the damage she was about to take from this fall. She closed her eyes and outstretched her arms, hoping it would slow her down a bit. She thought back to her father and the training he would have her go through every day. She remembered how she once talked back to her father and injured his leg while training. That moment she realized she should never talk back to him ever again. For after that incident her training became even more intense. For a moment her life seemed to flash by, but when she felt a pair of arms wrap themselves around her waist she sighed in defeat. Looking down at her belly, she saw two red gloves. Looks like he was still kicking after all.

"What happens now?" She asked, in defeat, lowering her head in shame. "Will you kill me?"

"Nope." Saitama replied.

"Then what will you do? Lock me up again?" Annie asked.

"I don't know what I'll do." Saitama replied. "But you need to understand a few things Ms. Leonhart." His voice suddenly became stern. "What you did is unacceptable. Whatever you did and whatever reasons you have might be important to you, but you shouldn't get other people involved or put them in danger. I've met my fair share of people, monsters, heck even aliens who all hurt people because of their own needs. One even killed thousands of innocent people just because of some prophecy that he would get the greatest fight of his life. And opponent to match his strength."

Annie opened her eyes and turned hear head sideways, looking at Saitama. "And was the prophecy fulfilled? Did that man find someone who could rival his power?" She asked. Why the hell was she asking this all of a sudden?

"He did, I think. I don't know but the guy was strong. He even punched me into space. Although I defeated him, it was a good fight. I haven't had a good fight in quite some time. But still a lot of people died back then, and those people died because of one man—or alien's wish. Now that doesn't seem fair now does it? How would you like it if people started attacking your home and killing people left and right? What if one of those people was your mother or father?" He asked, clearly curious but also a bit angry at what could possibly be her reason for all this death and destruction. Heh, if only he knew.

"If you're trying to scold me then you best stop. I'm not telling you anything. My path... is of my own choosing." Annie replied, chuckling to herself. "Just get us down and lock me up again. The torture sessions with Levi will be a thing I look forward to every day." She laughed a but to herself before closing her eyes. The future was turning out to be a grim one.

"If you're so sure you chose this path all by yourself, then why are you shaking?" Saitama asked. "If you're working alone then you should have nothing to worry about. But... you're not in on this alone, are you?" He looked down at the girl in his arms and noticed she had begun to cry. He sighed before moving one of his hands to her head and patting it softly. "Don't worry, everything will be okay."

"How can you be so sure?" Annie asked, looking up at him with red eyes. "Do you think I wanted to become a monster? Do you think I liked killing all those people? There is blood on my hands and I can't wash it off. You don't understand a thing."

"Well then make me undertand." Saitama retorted, staring down at her. "If I don't know about the situation then how am I supposed to help?"

Before Annie could reply she felt a sudden shockwave going through her body. Loud cracks could be heard and she could see stone and dirt flying everywhere. It took a moment for her to realize they had finally made it back to the surface, and that they were not standing in a crater created by the impact Saitama had made. She heard another crash and watched as he Titan body exploded into a piece of the wall, breaking it and sending several pieces flying everywhere when it hit the ground. God knows what would have happened to her where she still in her Titan form. She recoiled a bit when Saitama let go of her, and almost fell to the ground when her feet made contact with it. Shakily she started to walk forward, not knowing why she was walking in the first place. Perhaps it was the shock beginning to settle in. Or perhaps it had to do with her being so high up in the air. She did start to feel a bit dizzy when she was so high up.

All of a sudden, she was knocked back by a foot colliding with her chest. She gasped for air before a hand grabbed her by her hair and pulled her up.

"Hello there." Said a grim sounding voice. When the blur that Annie was seeing faded away, she saw the face of none other than Humanity's strongest himself. Great, this guy was probably not going to be as gentle as Saitama. "How are you holding up? Good? Oh, that's great." Levi said, bringing his knee into her stomach. "You're going to pay for what you did here. For what you did to these people. For what you did to Petra." He retracted his leg and placed it in the ground. "Let's see how long it'll take for you to break when we leave the knives in your flesh instead of taking them out."

Annie muttered a pair of incoherent words, but said nothing more when Levi threatened her by holding one of his blades to her neck. It was all over now. She had lost. Her mission was a complete utter failure. It was up to the other to finish the mission. Annie closed her eyes and let out one final sigh before losing concioucness.

"Tch." Levi said, dropping her to the ground. "Looks like she couldn't handle it anymore." He said, turning his attention to Saitama. "Excellent job out there. Although I have one question for you... where the hell where you when she," he shouted, pointing a finger at the unconscious Annie. "Was running rampant through the city?!"

"I was helping people." Saitama replied, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "People got stuck under some buildings and couldn't get out, so I helped the escape. By the time I got here I saw Annie and Eren—oh, hey Eren, what's up?"

Levi turned his head slowly to see Eren, still in his Titan form, glaring at Annie. He kneeled down and reached out to her, but stopped when Levi held out hs blade to his hand, threatening to slice it off. "Hand to yourself, kid. She's defeated. Now get the hell out of there before I get you out of there myself."

Titan Eren, however, didn't seem to care about orders right now as he continued to reach for Annie. Levi, not wanting to deal with another shifter at this moment, shot his cables at the Titan's face and reeled himself upward. Propelling himself behind Eren and attaching his cables to his neck, he swiftly and efficiently cut Eren out of his Titan body and threw him on the ground, shaking the boy out of his trance and leaving him with quite the headache.

Eren held his head in pain before slowly getting up. He looked at his Captain and then looked down at Annie. If looks could kill then Annie would have not been unconscious anymore. Eren decide to speak up. "Sir, what do we do now that she's been defeated?"

"We lock her up and this time we keep her locked up." Levi replied, running a hand through his hair. "I think it's about time we got some much-deserved rest. Today has been a... rough day for all of us. Especially for him." He said, motioning to Saitama.

"Saitama, sir!" Eren exclaimed, running up to the bald man and saluting. "I thought I'd seen the last of you. When they told me what Annie did what she did I thought you were gone for good. I thought humanity was back where it started." He looked down at his feet and shook his head a few times before continuing. "But now I know never to doubt you ever again!" He beamed, holding out his hand. "It is an honor serving beside you. With this victory we can finally get back at the Titans for everything they took from us."

 _'But can we really call this a victory, Yeager.'_ Levi thought to himself as he observed all of the damage. Dozens of homes were destroyed and hundreds of lives were probably lost. But such if the price of war, right?

During the entire operation to capture the Female Titan over one hundred soldiers lost their lives. Those numbers include Survey Corps member and Military Police personnel. During the time it took for the entire operation to be called a success many actions had to be taken, and many more lives were lost. The operation turned out to be a success, and with the recent re-capture of Annie Leonhart humanity seems to have the upper hand in this war once more. For a long time, this seemed to be a far away dream, and illusion one could say. But after recent events, such as the discovery of Eren Yeager's Titan shifting abilities and the strength of Saitama humanity seems to be on the verging point of taking the fight to the Titans. Soon they might even take back Wall Maria. And soon even the whole world.

Although new threats lurk around every corner and new enemies appear to stop the advance, humanity will not stop until they have taken back what is rightfully theirs. Their homeland. The world.

But sometimes the enemy can be right underneath your nose.

* * *

Saitama shook his head when two Survey Corps member tied up Annie's arms behind her back and placed a piece of cloth in her mouth to prevent her from biting herself again. He started walking towards her, but was stopped by Levi who placed a hand on his shoulder. "Don't. It's best if she's taken back into her cell first. Obviously, she isn't going to be talking for a long time seeing as she's knocked out-cold." He shot a quick glare at Annie. "But we'll get he to talk eventually."

"I just hope she doesn't escape again. Last time I am falling for the "I need some fresh air" lie." Saitama mumbled underneath his breath.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" Levi asked, raising an eyebrow. "You said something about a fresh air? What do you mean by that?" He pressed on.

"I... might have taken Annie out of her cell to get fresh air, she was hyperventilating. The small room didn't help. I had no idea she would transform. Heck I don't even know how they do it." He replied.

Levi's eyes widened and he stepped forward a bit. "So, you're telling me," he said, now standing directly in front of Saitama so he could look him into his eyes with a look of pure disbelief on his face. "That you are to blame for all those deaths? All those people died because of your mistake." He grtted his teeth. "Do you have any common sense in that thick skull of yours?! You need to think before you act, idiot! If word gets out you'll be executed on the spot!"

"Then we have to keep this a secret." Said a voice from behind the two.

Both Saitama and Levi shifted their attention to the origin of the voice, and were both equally surprised to see Commander Erwin walking towards them with a small smile planted upon his face. "Although Saitama miscalculated his plan his intentions were of purest heart. Levi, I know this is hard to accept but... think of it as a necessary part in the key to humanities' victory."

"But you can't possibly tell me you just want to accept this and-."

"I apologize."

Both Erwin and Levi looked at Saitama with raised eyebrows.

"Come again?" They said in union.

"I apologize for my actions. I didn't think them through and people died because of it. This is why I prefer to do things alone. If possible leave me out of any business involving lots of people in crowded areas. I don't want to be responsible for this ever again." Saitama said, his eyes serious and his fist clenched tightly.

Erwin took some time to process Saitama's words, but eventfully nodded his head. "Agreed. Saitama, I must apologize for the things I put you through up until now. Although there is one things I must know... how far are you willing to go to assure humanities' survival?" He asked.

Levi looked at Saitama and then back at Erwin, curious as to what Saitama's answer would be.

"If people won't get hurt, then I am all in." Saitama replied.

"But people will get hurt." Erwin retorted, placing his hands behind his back and looking around the market square which had now been completely destroyed. "Look around. This happened way before you even arrived to save the day again. And even before you arrived here in the first place people were already dying. As we speak someone is currently getting murdered in the lower levels of this city, or dying because of a disease or starvation. People die and people get hurt every day, Saitama. You cannot blame yourself for not being able to save everyone. But what you can do is secure a better tomorrow for the people who are still alive as we speak." Erwin placed his hands on Saitama's shoulders and continued. "You cannot be in several places at the same time. But remember one thing: what you did here, what you did yesterday saved thousands of lives. Sometimes the death of two is enough to prevent the death of a hundred."

Saitama raised an eyebrow at Erwin's words, but before he could reply something else caught his eyes. "Hey, why is there a Titan in the wall?" He asked.

Both Erwin and Levi's eyes widened when Saitama said those words.

Looks like humanity might be back where it started.

In the dark.

A/N: So here you have it, the conclusion to the first ARC of this story. This is where things will start to get interesting. Now I know it seems weird that Saitama is responsible for those deaths, but let's admit it... Saitama did probably kill people when he destroyed that meteor that threatened to destroy Earth. And let's not forget Saitama's punch to Beefcake literally destroyed city-B-making his absentmindedness indirectly responsible for very, **very** likely killing tons of people-and his response to that was "Oops."

So, my guess is Saitama would most likely act the same way if the meteor killed people (which, let face it, probably did even if the media didn't know it). But I didn't want Saitama to act this way since... well it just doesn't really fit who he is. And even though no one pointed this out to him in the manga or anime, it happened in the story. I just hope I don't piss off too many people with it that's all. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. Please leave a review telling me what you thought of it.


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